How Guru Nanak’s langars turned mealtime into a revolution

The tradition of langar—a community kitchen that serves free meals to anyone regardless of caste, religion, or social status—has become one of the most visible symbols of equality and service in Sikhism.
If you’ve ever visited a gurdwara, you’ve likely experienced this humble yet impactful practice. But how exactly did it begin?
One day, around the 1520s, as Guru Nanak looked out over Kartarpur, he noticed how the people from different castes and communities stayed separated—even while eating together. Rich or poor, high caste or low, divisions remained.
Nanak knew this had to change. He believed that in the eyes of the Creator, everyone was equal, and so he created a simple yet profound tradition—langar, a communal meal where all sat side by side.
Through this revolutionary act, the Guru reshaped social dynamics, establishing equality as the foundation of humanity, long before it became a global call for justice.
Born on April 15, 1469, to a well-to-do family in Rai Bhoi Ki Talwandi (now Nankana Sahib, Pakistan), Guru Nanak showed signs of deep spiritual insight from a young age.
The first Sikh guru’s education may have included Persian, a sign of superior education, and he later wrote hundreds of hymns in Punjabim, drawing on Persian and Arabic words.
At the age of 30, after a profound spiritual experience, Guru Nanak set out on a long journey, known as the udasis, spreading his message across India, Tibet, and Arabia. He spent some 23 years travelling, going as far as Mecca and Medina as well as to the mythic mountain Sumeru, say the Janam Sakhis, a collection of stories about his life.
Everywhere Nanak went, he spoke of love, equality, and a direct connection with the divine. At a time when society was deeply divided by caste, religion, and wealth, he was a fierce critic of these divisions.
Note that it was during Nanak’s lifetime, that the Central Asian conqueror Babur, a descendant of Timur (Tamerlane), invaded the Punjab, overthrew the Lodhi dynasty, and captured Delhi in 1526, establishing himself as the first Mughal ruler of India.
At that time, Punjab was a hub of diverse religious sects and teachings, fostering new experiments in faith. Sufi Islam flourished in cities like Lahore and Multan, while most people practised various forms of Hinduism. Shiva worship, Nath yogis influenced by Tantric traditions, and Bhakti movements led by sants like Kabir were also popular.
Some legends suggest that Kabir influenced or even taught Nanak, though this isn’t true. However, both shared a strong disdain for religious authorities. Nanak captured this sentiment in one of his verses:
“The Qazi tells untruths and eats filth,
The Brahmin kills and takes a holy bath,
The blind yogi knows not the true way,
All three make for mankind’s ruin.”
Rejecting the rigid rituals of religion, Guru Nanak sought the divine in equality, compassion, and service to humanity. In one of his most famous sayings, he proclaimed, “Na ko Hindu hai na ko Mussalman” – there is neither Hindu nor Muslim.
Nanak’s attire was deliberately unconventional, blending elements from various religious traditions. He wore a Muslim dervish’s loose shirt in the ochre of a Hindu sannyasi, a fakir’s white belt, and a bone necklace.
Unlike many barefoot holy men, he wore mismatched sandals and a mix of a Sufi Qalandar cap with a short turban. His eclectic outfit seemed designed to confuse and challenge religious norms.

(Photo: PTI)

Nanak, like Kabir, believed in a formless, universal God—nirankar. This divine presence, though without shape, could be experienced within, almost like an inner voice guiding each individual.
One of the key differences between Nanak and most spiritual masters us that he returned to his homeland and “made room in his religious life for members of his previous, unenlightened domesticity,” Sunil Khilnani writes in Incarnations.
Nanak’s spirituality brought him back to what scholars of the Sikh religion called “disciplined worldliness”. It didn’t require asceticism or renunciation. Nanak needed of his followers not just worship, but also social action.
To practice the belief that everyone was equal, Guru Nanak would hold community meals where people from all walks of life sat together and shared food, breaking down the rigid barriers of the caste system. It wasn’t just about feeding the hungry—it was a bold social statement that rejected the hierarchical structures of the time.
While these community meals weren’t formally called ‘langar’ yet, they were the seeds of what would become a defining feature of Sikhism.
Indians have long been meticulous about food—its ingredients, who prepares it, and who serves it—driven by caste-based taboos that dictate purity, pollution, and humiliating rules on who can cook and eat together. Despite years of reform, these practices still persist, symbolising the caste system’s lingering grip.
The Sikh langar, however, shatters these age-old boundaries. In a gurudwara, food is prepared by volunteers and served to anyone who walks through the doors. Here, everyone eats together, seated on the floor, in a profound act of unity and defiance.
Langar was more than just a meal. It was an act of social defiance against the caste system and divisions that plagued society.

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Though many may flock to langars in Delhi, Birmingham, or Queens, New York, for the simple pleasure of good, free food, they also — consciously or unconsciously — take part in a quiet yet resolute protest against the deep-rooted prejudices that still haunt society.
Nanak had a keen understanding of how food could be a powerful tool for challenging societal norms. According to the Janam Sakhis, he confronted the strict vegetarian practices of certain Hindus in a provocative manner—by deliberately cooking deer meat on an auspicious day.
This act wasn’t just about food; it was a direct challenge to the rigidity of religious customs, exposing the hypocrisy and blind adherence to rituals that often overshadowed true spiritual understanding.
He wrote in one of his verses:
“Those who abjure meat,
And sit holding their noses,
Eat men at night;
They make a show of hypocrisy for others
But have no true knowledge of God.”
The radical concept of langar truly took form during Guru Nanak’s time at Kartarpur, the town he established in late 1519 on the banks of River Ravi when he was in his fifties. This place, where he spent his final two decades with his wife and sons, was where the practice became regular and organised.
As Guru Nanak built his spiritual community, food became a way to bring people together in harmony, nurturing both body and soul.
His followers, the first ‘Sikhs’—meaning ‘learners’—were bound by more than just devotion to a formless, all-pervasive God. Nanak cemented this unity by breaking the most rigid of taboos—he made sure all, regardless of caste, gender, or status, ate together on the floor.
In Guru Nanak’s time, sitting and eating with someone from a lower caste was unthinkable for the upper classes. But in the langar, there was no room for inequality. This tradition ensured that everyone, from the richest to the poorest, would sit on the same floor and eat the same food.
Through this simple yet powerful practice, Guru Nanak turned the act of eating into a statement of unity and humility.

(Photo: PTI)

At Kartarpur, Guru Nanak’s wife, Mata Sulakhni, is said to have overseen the langar, preparing meals with love and devotion.
This vision of Nanak laid the groundwork for what would become a defining feature of Sikhism.
While Guru Nanak laid the foundation for the langar, it was his successors who institutionalised it.
Guru Angad, the second Sikh Guru, expanded the practice, making it an integral part of Sikh life. By the time of the third Guru, Guru Amar Das, the langar had become a formal tradition in Gurdwaras.
Guru Amar Das took the practice even further by introducing the pangat system, where everyone, regardless of their social or economic status, had to sit in rows on the floor to eat together before meeting him.
Even Emperor Akbar, during his visit to Guru Amar Das, had to sit on the ground and eat langar alongside commoners— which shows how powerful Guru Nanak’s message of equality really is.
Today, the langar continues to be a central part of Sikh worship and identity. The practice has grown far beyond the walls of Gurdwaras.
From local community kitchens feeding the needy to massive operations like the Golden Temple in Amritsar, which serves over 100,000 meals a day, the spirit of langar continues to thrive.

(Photo: PTI)

It has become a symbol of service in various interfaith contexts, promoting a universal message of equality.
Guru Nanak’s legacy is evident in modern humanitarian efforts, where Sikhs have expanded the concept of langar to help those in need during natural disasters, refugee crises, and even the pandemic, serving millions regardless of their background, religion, or social standing.
The true essence of langar lies not just in feeding people but in fostering a sense of shared humanity. Nanak’s teachings remind us that serving others is the greatest form of worship.
Volunteering in langar kitchens also fosters a strong sense of community spirit. Besides, many Gurdwaras have also adopted sustainable practices in their langar services, using locally sourced ingredients and striving to minimise waste, ensuring that the spirit of service aligns with environmental consciousness.
Guru Nanak passed away on September 22, 1539, in Kartarpur. His death left a profound impact on his followers, and his teachings continued to guide Sikhism’s evolution through his successors.
Even in death, Guru Nanak bridged divides. As legend has it, after his passing, Hindus and Muslims disputed over whether his body should be cremated or buried.
Yet when they lifted the cloth that covered him, his body had vanished, replaced by a heap of flowers—an enduring symbol of peace and unity.
Guru Nanak’s simple yet revolutionary act of sharing meals with people from all walks of life laid the foundation for this practice of equality and community service, which remains a cornerstone of Sikhism today.
His vision of breaking down divisions and uplifting all members of society continues to inspire and serve millions around the globe.
(With inputs from Incarnations by Sunil Khilnani)