CHANDIGARH: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandak Committee (SGPC) has decided to cook langar food (community kitchen) at Golden Temple, Amritsar, in iron utensils to make it healthy and environment friendly.
Earlier, food was being cooked in steel utensils and cooking in iron vessels is an age-old Sikh tradition.
Chief Secretary of SGPC, Harcharan Singh said, “The utensils will be procured from the Sikligar Community.” The community is poor and has been making good iron utensils for decades. He added, “We have decided to buy the utensils from them in bulk. In the process, we will help them earn a livelihood and also save the dying tradition.”
Food cooked in iron utensils will have iron in it, which is good for health and environment friendly also. Around one lakh people eat langar in Golden Temple every day and on weekends and holidays, the number touches two lakh.
Singh said, “We have decided to start it in Golden Temple first and will slowly replicate it in other gurdwaras. A three-member sub-committee has also been formed to procure the utensils.”
Meanwhile, CNG pipeline will soon replace LPG and wood as the cooking fuel in Golden Temple. A biogas plant worth `90 lakh will also be installed that will run on vegetable waste from the kitchen.