On a hot afternoon as the temperature hovers around 34°C, half a dozen men inside the world’s largest community kitchen nonchalantly prepare meals in huge gas and wood-powered woks to feed more than 100,000 devotees.
They serve lentil soup, vegetable curry, basmati rice and rice pudding, cooked around the clock at a community kitchen inside the Golden Temple, Sikhism’s holiest site, in Amritsar, Punjab, northern India.
It is the world’s largest free kitchen, according to the The World Book of Records, and is open 24/7 throughout the year to everyone, irrespective of religion, caste, creed or gender.
Authorities say about 5,000 kilograms of wheat, 1,800 kilograms of lentils, 1,400 kilograms of rice, 5,000 litres of milk, 1,000 kilograms of sugar and 5,000 kilograms of ghee or clarified butter are consumed every day.
Nearly 1,500 kilograms of liquefied petroleum gas and 500 kilograms of firewood are needed to cook the meals.
Every day, nearly 500 volunteers, called “sevadaar”, prepare vegetarian meals for 100,000 people – devotees and tourists who throng to the temple kitchen called the Guru Ramdas Langar, named after the fourth of the ten Sikh gurus.
“Our volunteers work throughout the day and night to serve meals to the people,” kitchen supervisor w told The National.
“We don’t discriminate. Any person can come here and enjoy the meals. There are four entrances to this temple symbolising the acceptance of people from all religions.”
A dozen volunteers work in the ground-floor kitchen area under the supervision of lead chefs, cooking meals on the massive woks perched on a high platform.
In a separate section, huge volumes of tea are brewed in gigantic vessels, as men stir the hot liquid with ladles the size of boat oars.
Another group of men patiently sits in a corner cutting vegetables and cleaning utensils.
On the first floor, more than 100 men and women patiently make chapatis – Indian flat breads – on large rectangular stoves.
Every few minutes, tall, well-built men rush in and fill smaller vessels with soup, rice, or tea to serve to about 5,000 people at a time.
The air is filled with religious slogans as devotees grin with pride.
Equality and communal harmony
The concept of “langar”, meaning a feeding centre for travellers in Persian, was devised by the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev, in the 15th century.
It was established as a custom by the third guru, Guru Amar Das in every gurudwara or the Sikh temple, with the purpose of promoting equality and communal harmony in the deeply divided Indian society.
The gurus initiated the trend to encourage people from all gender, caste, and religion to gather and sit together to eat the same meals.
Mr Singh said: “You will not see so many people from different backgrounds, whether rich or poor, sitting on the floor and eating together anywhere else in the world.
“This is the beauty of our sangat, our community.”
He added: “The people here you see are all doing seva [service] to mankind. They don’t get tired and work happily.
“They come in two shifts, morning and evening, work for 12 hours and never shy away from doing extra chores.
He said anyone who wishes to “extend their helping hand are welcome to volunteer”.
“Our Guru started this tradition and we are following it,” he added.
The Golden Temple covers 4,645 square metres, over three floors.
The food is served in two first-floor halls, which cover the area of three basketball courts and accommodate about 5,000 diners sitting crossed-leg on the floor.
Every 15 minutes, the dining area is cleaned for the next sitting of hungry devotees.
To cope with demand, the gurudwara has also introduced three automatic chapati-makers, each churning out 4,000 pieces per hour, on the second floor.
The volunteers are mostly neighbours or devotees who, as well as preparing food, wash more than 300,000 plates, spoons, glasses and bowls.
It costs more than 300 million rupees ($3.6 million) a year to run the langar, which Mr Singh said is covered by donations.
Sikhs have a religious obligation to contribute one-tenth of their earnings for the welfare of the community.
“People donate and that’s how we run this kitchen,” Mr Singh said.
“It is a community service and our community actively takes part in this noble cause. We never have to worry about money, the sangat [community] looks after the meals.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
THE BIO
Ms Davison came to Dubai from Kerala after her marriage in 1996 when she was 21-years-old
Since 2001, Ms Davison has worked at many affordable schools such as Our Own English High School in Sharjah, and The Apple International School and Amled School in Dubai
Favourite Book: The Alchemist
Favourite quote: Failing to prepare is preparing to fail
Favourite place to Travel to: Vienna
Favourite cuisine: Italian food
Favourite Movie : Scent of a Woman
Stree
Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Movies
Director: Amar Kaushik
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee
Rating: 3.5
'C'mon C'mon'
Director:Mike Mills
Stars:Joaquin Phoenix, Gaby Hoffmann, Woody Norman
Rating: 4/5
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The specs: Hyundai Ionic Hybrid
Price, base: Dh117,000 (estimate)
Engine: 1.6L four-cylinder, with 1.56kWh battery
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 105hp (engine), plus 43.5hp (battery)
Torque: 147Nm (engine), plus 170Nm (battery)
Fuel economy, combined: 3.4L / 100km
Gran Gala del Calcio 2019 winners
Best Player: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
Best Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta)
Best Referee: Gianluca Rocchi
Best Goal: Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria vs Napoli)
Best Team: Atalanta
Best XI: Samir Handanovic (Inter); Aleksandar Kolarov (Roma), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), Joao Cancelo (Juventus*); Miralem Pjanic (Juventus), Josip Ilicic (Atalanta), Nicolo Barella (Cagliari*); Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Duvan Zapata (Atalanta)
Serie B Best Young Player: Sandro Tonali (Brescia)
Best Women’s Goal: Thaisa (Milan vs Juventus)
Best Women’s Player: Manuela Giugliano (Milan)
Best Women’s XI: Laura Giuliani (Milan); Alia Guagni (Fiorentina), Sara Gama (Juventus), Cecilia Salvai (Juventus), Elisa Bartoli (Roma); Aurora Galli (Juventus), Manuela Giugliano (Roma), Valentina Cernoia (Juventus); Valentina Giacinti (Milan), Ilaria Mauro (Fiorentina), Barbara Bonansea (Juventus)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Violence%20
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Blonde
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How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Where to buy art books in the UAE
There are a number of speciality art bookshops in the UAE.
In Dubai, The Lighthouse at Dubai Design District has a wonderfully curated selection of art and design books. Alserkal Avenue runs a pop-up shop at their A4 space, and host the art-book fair Fully Booked during Art Week in March. The Third Line, also in Alserkal Avenue, has a strong book-publishing arm and sells copies at its gallery. Kinokuniya, at Dubai Mall, has some good offerings within its broad selection, and you never know what you will find at the House of Prose in Jumeirah. Finally, all of Gulf Photo Plus’s photo books are available for sale at their show.
In Abu Dhabi, Louvre Abu Dhabi has a beautiful selection of catalogues and art books, and Magrudy’s – across the Emirates, but particularly at their NYU Abu Dhabi site – has a great selection in art, fiction and cultural theory.
In Sharjah, the Sharjah Art Museum sells catalogues and art books at its museum shop, and the Sharjah Art Foundation has a bookshop that offers reads on art, theory and cultural history.
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Mountain%20Boy
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Brief scores:
Toss: Kerala Knights, opted to fielf
Pakhtoons 109-5 (10 ov)
Fletcher 32; Lamichhane 3-17
Kerala Knights 110-2 (7.5 ov)
Morgan 46 not out, Stirling 40
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Watford v Leicester City (3.30pm)
Brighton v Arsenal (6pm)
West Ham v Wolves (8.30pm)
Bournemouth v Crystal Palace (10.45pm)
Sunday
Newcastle United v Sheffield United (5pm)
Aston Villa v Chelsea (7.15pm)
Everton v Liverpool (10pm)
Monday
Manchester City v Burnley (11pm)
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
MATCH INFO
Juventus 1 (Dybala 45')
Lazio 3 (Alberto 16', Lulic 73', Cataldi 90 4')
Red card: Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus)
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
Results
6.30pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah Group Two (PA) US$55,000 (Dirt) 1,600m; Winner: Rasi, Harry Bentley (jockey), Sulaiman Al Ghunaimi (trainer).
7.05pm: Meydan Trophy (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,900m; Winner: Ya Hayati, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Bochart, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
8.15pm: Balanchine Group Two (TB) $250,000 (T) 1,800m; Winner: Magic Lily, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,000m; Winner: Waady, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson.
9.25pm: Firebreak Stakes Group Three (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Capezzano, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.
10pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,410m; Winner: Eynhallow, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
The biog
Year of birth: 1988
Place of birth: Baghdad
Education: PhD student and co-researcher at Greifswald University, Germany
Hobbies: Ping Pong, swimming, reading
More coverage from the Future Forum
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
MATCH INFO
Chelsea 0
Liverpool 2 (Mane 50', 54')
Red card: Andreas Christensen (Chelsea)
Man of the match: Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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