It is such a surreal experience to share an integral part of your culture in a place like Rhodes House, with your peers, members of Rhodes Trust leadership, and so many members of the Sikh community worldwide. Langar specifically is so present throughout Sikhi, as it is at every single Gurdwara (or Sikh Temple). It originated with our original 10 Gurus, as at that time in the 1500-1600s, the caste system was a part of the fabric of Indian society. Langar is a free community kitchen, where anyone was (and still is!) welcome to share a meal. Everyone sits on the floor, no matter who they are, which symbolizes equality. Equality is a very important part of the Sikh religion as well.
Bringing this message to Oxford and Rhodes House is so incredibly important, especially with the history that these places hold. In having Langar at Rhodes House, we also wanted to share what Sikhi is, other core parts of Sikhi, and the history behind Sikhi and the values it holds. With this mind, we first worked with Guru Nanak Darbar, King Street, Southall (one the biggest Gurdwaras in Europe!) to ensure we could prepare a traditional Langar meal, consisting of roti (a type of bread), daal (lentils), sabji (vegetables), chaval (rice), and parshaad (a sweet dish that is distributed at the end of every Gurdwara program). We also worked with Sikh organizations outside of Oxford to expand the message of our Langar. BOSS Sikhs (British Organization of Sikh Students) allowed to borrow a number of banners and pamphlets that talked about who Sikhs are, the history of Langar, and many other important parts of Sikhi.
NishkamSWAT is another charitable organization built on the principles of Sikhi, that supports homeless communities. They helped us organize the transportation of the Langar from the Gurdwara to Rhodes House, and on the day of.
Another key part of Sikhi is ‘Seva’ or ‘selfless service.’ This is embodied in Langar as well, and this event could not have happened without the Seva of the Sikh Society. The Sikh Society worked tirelessly together to bring together every part of the Langar: from working with Rhodes House, to working with BOSS, the Gurdwara, and Nishkam SWAT, recruiting photographers, making rumals (bandanas with the khandas on them), to on the day of, distributing food for the Langar!
We also had stalls throughout the event: Sikh Heritage, Learn About Sikhi, and Tie and Turban. Many people who attended the event were able to tie a turban for the first time!
We also wanted to showcase traditional Sikh kirtan, or singing of Sikh hymns. We started the evening with Simran, or meditation, led by Jupneet Singh (California & Green Templeton 2023).
She played the Harmonium while singing, and was accompanied by Nihal Singh on the Tabla, who is an Oxford student studying Gurbāṇī Kīrtan Paramparā.
Nihal Singh and Jatinder Singh, two professionally trained musicians, then played Sikh hymns with traditional instruments.
To end our program, Serene Singh (Colorado & Christ Church 2020), led Anand Sahib, or a ‘prayer of bliss.’
The event ended with Langar being served!
Sharing a tradition like this is so incredibly important, as it allows Sikh scholars to share something beautiful with a new community. It not only showcases Langar, but also opens so much about the Sikh community at large, along with Sikh history and values. It was incredibly special to have the Rhodes House Warden, Elizabeth Kiss there, for her first Langar, and our Registrar, Mary Eaton, for her second Langar! The entirety of the events and scholar programming were so incredibly supportive, and we cannot wait to do this again next year!