Priyanka Chopra performs seva at Golden Temple Amritsar: 5 things you need to know about Guru ka Langar and world's largest community kitchen

Actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas is known for celebrating her Indian roots. The actress recently visited the iconic Golden Temple also known as Harmandir Sahib. As per the viral videos doing rounds on social media, she was seen offering prayer and participated in seva. The clips of her seva has drawn a lot of attention, a a core Sikh practice centred around selfless service. In one widely shared video, Priyanka is seen sitting on the floor alongside others, washing utensils in the community kitchen, known as the langar. For the unversed, seva and langar service are an integral part of the holiest shrine, where people voluntarily contribute in different services as a part of good karma (deeds) and seek blessings of the supreme power. The shrine is know for its Guru ka Langar and world's largest community kitchen that feeds lakhs of devotees every day. Scroll down to learn 5 interesting things about Guru ka Langar and world's largest community kitchen.

According to the official website, the tradition of Guru ka Langar was initiated by Guru Nanak Dev Ji and then established by the 3rd Guru Sri Guru Amar Dass Ji at Goindwal. Even the Mughal King Akbar came and sat among the ordinary people to share langar. The institution of langar has served the community in many ways. It has ensured the participation of women and children in a task of service for mankind. In langar, women play an important role in preparation of meals and kids help in serving food to the pangat. The institution also teaches the etiquette of sitting and eating in a community situation, which has played a great part in upholding the virtue of sameness of all human beings; providing a welcome, secure and protected sanctuary. Another interesting thing about the langar and community kitchen is that all preparation, cooking, and cleaning is done by volunteers and or by voluntary helpers (Sewadars). (Image: Instagram/ravifoodienvlogs)

In the Golden Temple Community Kitchen at an average 100,000 devotees or tourists take langar in the Community Kitchen daily; but the number becomes almost double on special occasions. On average more than 100 quintal wheat flour, 25 quintal cereals, 10 quintal rice, 5000 ltr Milk, 10 quintal sugar, 5 quintal pure ghee is used a day. Nearly 100 LPG gas cylinders are used to prepare the meals. 100’s of employees and devotees render their services to the kitchen. While most of the work is done by hand, a mechanised oven and conveyor belt churn out nearly 11,000 rotis an hour. There's more than one room dedicated to making rotis. At the other one, volunteers roll out rotis by hand. There's usually rice, dal, roti, sabji, channa, kheer and sheera. The menu changes nearly everyday and aims to be a balance of carbohydrates, proteins and other nutrients. The langar meal has the langar dal and while it may look like any regular yellow dal, it is special in many ways. It is cooked in a room specially dedicated to it with three mega cauldrons. As per reports, each vessel uses nearly 400kg of dal which are cooked over a woodfired oven. Each vessel uses 24kg salt, 12kg spice mix and 12kg turmeric powder, garlic, onions and 48kg of clarified butter, a report say. It takes almost 3-3.5 hours to prepare it. And in a room adjacent to where the langar happens, all the vessels are cleaned about five times before it is dried and served to the next round of people.

The langar hall is functional day in and out and there is no such thing as dinner or lunchtime at the Golden Temple. The langar hall is built over 50,000sqft and is called the Guru Ramdas Langar Hall, which is divided into two, and is said to occupy as many as 5,000 people at a time. Once you collect a plate and are seated on the floor, the food just comes pouring in. And there's always enough for everyone. Also, if you have to ask for extra roti or phulkas, you have to join both hands and softly ask for 'Prasada'.

According to the website, Bhai Desa Singh in his Rehitnama says, "A Sikh who is 'well to do' must look to the needs of his poor neighbours. Whenever he meets a traveller or a pilgrim from a foreign country, he must serve him devotedly. Today, almost every gurudwara has a langar supported by the community and in smaller gurudwaras, cooked food is received from different households and food is served in sitting on floor to pangat. And in Sikhism, sharing a common meal sitting in a pangat is for a Sikh is an act of piety.

Kada Prasad, also called Karha Prasad is a sacred offering in Sikhism and is served to everyone who visits a Gurudwara and it is available 24*7 at the Golden Temple. It has a rich, warm, halwa-like texture and is traditionally made with whole wheat flour (atta), ghee, sugar, and water. The preparation is a living example of consistency and dedication as it always tastes the same and is prepared with devotion and prayer. It is made using equal parts (1:1:1 ratio) of atta, ghee, and sugar, typically with three parts water. It also symbolizes equality, humility, and blessings. (Image: Instagram/palki.chopra)