Langar at 4 a.m.

It has been a week that I have been going to the Moti Bagh Gurudwara in the morning at 4. At 4 because this is the time when the first Langar of the day is served.

Moti Bagh Gurudwara is at a kilometer’s distance from the place where I am staying. On my early morning walks to the Gurudwara, I am accompanied by street dogs waggling their tails, equally hungry as I am at this point of time. They come with me till a point and then go back. The Gurudwara has a decently big compound, is made of white stone (prominently marble) and has some construction work going inside it.

Moti Bagh Gurudwara was the site where Guru Gobind Singh ji camped with his army when he was called to Delhi for help by Prince Muazzam (later Bahadur Shah) in the struggle for succession after the sudden death of Aurangzeb. Bhai Nand Lal, a great scholar and poet of Persian, a devotee of Guru ji, requested the Guru’s help in assisting Prince Muazzam, the eldest son of Aurangzeb, in his claim to the Mughal Throne. It is said that Guru Gobind Singh shot two arrows from Moti Bagh to Red Fort (a distance of 8kms). The Guru’s first arrow announced his arrival in Delhi and the second arrow carried a letter saying, “It is not magic but skill of archery”.

The prince (Bahadur Shah) had been deputed by his father, Aurangzeb, to suppress the activities of the Guru in Punjab. The prince after making an impartial inquiry into the false reports sent by the hill chiefs had written to the Emperor that Guru Gobind Singh was a darvesh (Holy-man) and the real trouble makers were the Hill Rajas. Aurangzeb, not believing this to be true, imprisoned Bahadur Shah for some time in the prison for opposing him. Later, Aurangzeb attacked Anandpur Sahib but couldn’t catch a hold of the Guru. Guru Gobind Singh had a good impression about the prince who had earned the displeasure of his father by refusing to take part in the attack at Anandpur Sahib and hence agreed to help him in the battle of succession.

As my first visit to the Gurudwara was primarily to satisfy my early morning hunger, while eating at the Langar, I decided from the next day onwards I would eat at the last. I enquired with some people there if it is alright for me to volunteer with them. They asked me not who I am but why am I interested in volunteering. I said something on the lines of that I want to come here every day in the morning and knowing that I will have a duty to perform would be a good incentive. I go to the Gurudwara at 4, volunteer till 5, eat my meal, sit in the inner hall for 15-20 minutes and then come back. Volunteering at the Langar for me involves three basic tasks - serving, running or washing the dishes. I prefer doing the dishes over the other two. At a Langar if you are running, it is very important to keep in mind not to put food into the plates by bending down; rather the person joins his/her hands and you have to throw the paranthas from a height. Incase of vegetables, the plates are to be lifted upwards and then we put the vegetables or other liquid food items like raita, kheer etc. from a distance. The reason for this is pretty simple and scientific: to maintain hygiene and cleanliness. You also need to say “Waheguru” every time you serve any food item. The kheer I had at this Langar was one delicious kheer I had after a long time. Yesterday’s Langar had a new and unexpected addition to it. The break of summer called for its most treasured associate; a voluptuous and ripened mango. The other day I asked if it was fine to take some paranthas for the dogs who surround me on my walks in anticipation of something. The answer was a no.

It’s been a week that I have been coming here. Yes, there are moments in my office where you’d find me stealing a nap. Going to the Gurudwara daily at 4 is keeping me underslept, yet everyday I feel this inner excitement of going there and spending some time. To be very true to myself I am not going there because I am ardently into volunteering. I am not a religious person either. My mom would infact call me the opposite. It is difficult for me to comprehend what exactly I go there for. I think the closest I can articulate would be that I am enjoying the idea of spending a couple of hours every day without thinking too much. What I mean is while I am doing some task, eating or just sitting there observing the various early morning activities in a Gurudwara with the Gurubani playing in the background, there is a lightness in the mind. It is in a way a time when there is a simplification or an escape from a lot of things which I want to think about but not everytime. To be honest, I am still unaware of the reasons of this early morning interlude. I thought writing this would help to dig it out. I don’t know if it has. I think it will take more visits to gauge the reasons. In any case, till the time the flames of excitement are burning well and taking me there, I have no reluctance whatsoever.