With this in mind I must share with you a wonderful way to start the New Year. The BFM and family were invited to the Sikh Temple or Gurdwara in Belfast. There was a recital from the Sikh Holy Book, the Guru Garanth Sahib to offer thanks for bringing everyone into a New Year and to bless everyone for the upcoming New Year.
http://www.belfastgurdwara.co.uk
This was then followed by Langar or a meal for all the attendees. The Gurdwara in Belfast is very small, the biggest one of course is the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab, India. The Sikh temples provide a full meal for people after most services, festivities and functions and usually throughout the day (day in day out, especially the bigger temples). There were about 50 people fed today, compared with 75,000 on an average day in Amritsar!!!! This is all a free service using food donated by well wishers and cooked and served by volunteers.
http://www.goldentempleamritsar.org
The meal we had was simple yet very tasty:
It is usually served as above in a steel partitioned tray called a Thali. From top left is raita (seasoned yoghurt with little boondis-mini fried gram flour balls which are then soaked in water and added to the yoghurt), also in the first compartment is a pickle of onion and mango. In 2 is salad and chapatti, bottom left is hot kheer (a sweet rice pudding dessert), next to that is peas and paneer (Indian cheese) in a spicy gravy and last is daal or lentils.
It was a hearty meal and shows community spirit at its best. No one is turned away and one does not have to be Sikh to avail of the Langar. This is the same in Gurdwaras worldwide. Rich or poor, from those with lots to those with nothing, it is a free service as in the Gurdwara everyone is equal.
The Belfast Gurdwara can be found in Duncain Gardens.
If you get a chance to visit a Gurdwara please do. Once again Happy New Year!!
Once again the BFM shares the food love!!! Ciao 4 now!!
The BelfastFoodMan
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