India is a canvas where a “Picasso or Rembrandt classic’ is painted every second, wiped and then recreated in some form or the other, you have to be observant enough to see the masterpieces in creation. A cow swaying merrily to the jingle of the bells tied to her neck, grinning from ear to ear knowing that she has the “power” to hold up traffic for miles and miles, motorists whiz by touching here momentarily and then touching their foreheads,”Gau mata ki jai”(Long live the cow), Cow is considered sacred in India and she flaunts her God-given rights to the core and leaves a trail of the “heaped masterpieces” on the road, children queuing up behind her to pick them up to fuel their homes for free, financial year or not, there is no deficit of this God sent fuel.

A land deeply connected with Gods and beliefs of faith and prayers, of religion and tolerance, it’s an
education to be part of the organized chaos, a civilization so old that no one knows for sure if Lord Ram went on a diet and worked on his abs to look so good to have so many damsels in distress buzzing around him or if the fabled tandoori chicken had a major role to play in the battles fought by the fearless Gurus who could hold a very heavy sword in one hand and wipe out the completion, wonder where all that protein can from? No one knows but one thing is for sure that food and God are surely connected, let’s find out how.

The Sikhs are a very large-hearted, brave community, from the breaking of the wind to the food they eat is “LOUD” with no holds barred, they work hard, eat harder and pray even harder to appease their Gods. The Gurudwara or Temple for some is where the amalgamation of this rich culture takes place. Be it Toronto, London, New York or Singapore, if you are lost and your GPS bearings are wrong, you know you are near a gurudwara when the waft of air brings in the smell of freshly prepared roti’s (Indian bread), where the “menu fills the air”, you can close your eyes and the GPS in your head and your nose will guide you to your “destination”.

Off go the shoes, the ceremony of washing hands and feet are done with and in a moment you are entering the prayer hall with folded hands, bowing your head and asking God for forgiving you for the sins that you have committed during the day or the past week. For some it’s where their souls connect with the Gods and they sit there for hours, soul searching, immersed in the soothing “Gurbani” while for others the search is elsewhere. In Southall in London, the ill-famed “glassy junction” was done away with because adventurous lads used to have a belly full at the Gurudwara across the road and before you could say Jack Robinson, they were seen sipping beer at the Glassy Junction, such was their “reverence and commitment” towards their Gods.

The “Langar Hall”(Food Hall) has become the “piece de resistance”, where many “make plans” days in advance to “hang-out” on the right day at the right time, since the “menu” is tops that day. It’s taken for granted that major festival days are “culinary journeys” where food of Michelin Standards is dished out but you have to “get it right” on the other days, a marriage or naming ceremony or someone’s engagement is a sure fire recipe for glorious food. A pot-bellied businessman looks relived since he has had a heart to heart talk with God, rightly so his plate resembles a mini Mt. Everest, a child sitting next to him gets scared for a second when he hears a distant thunder, then realizes its not mother nature but the fat mans tummy, he stares in amazement with his open mouth, at this “creation”and his innocence says it all, is this man here for God or food or both.
From marriages being finalised, to the aunties catching up on the latest gossip, the oldies checking out the “freshies”,the young lads checking out the opposite sex,from politicians to the well–heeled, all land up here, sitting together, gulping the glorious food, maybe meeting someone whom they haven’t met for ages,this place has achieved what many a governments haven’t been able to, interaction of different faiths on a dining table, watched over by the smiling Gods who seem to have forgiven everyone,momentarily.until they commit their next sin and come back again, sharing their gossip and food all over again.

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