Now, ration and other supplies for langar (community food) can be taken from the Indian side by devotees travelling to pay their respects at Gurdwara Sri Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan.
At Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur’s Kartarpur corridor, a special ration store known as “Langar Rasad Guru Nanak Dev Ji Hut” has opened.
The devotees bought veggies, pulses, and handkerchiefs from this store on the first day of the festival. India and Pakistan built the Kartarpur corridor to allow Indian pilgrims travelling from Dera Baba Nanak to Kartarpur, in Pakistan’s Narowal area, where the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev, spent the last years of his life.
In the early months following the corridor’s opening in November 2019, devotees would bring langar rations with them. However, their Indian counterparts discontinued this practice after Pakistan Rangers voiced concerns about it.
Following the involvement of the centre, the new store has opened, allowing devotees to “officially” contribute to the langar of the Gurdwara Kartarpur shrine kitchen.
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On this occasion, the manager of Gurdwara Dera Baba Nanak and representatives of the Land Ports Authority of India were present. Every day, about 300 pilgrims pass via the designated corridor to reach the Kartarpur shrine.
In addition to handkerchiefs, combs, bracelets, kirpans, kachhira, and other such items, Rajinder Singh and Sukhwinder Singh, who opened this store together after winning the tendering process, claimed to supply tomatoes, green chillies, ginger, garlic, onions, pulses, oil, desi ghee, flour, rice, and other goods.
According to government regulations, this location allows each devotee to bring only seven kilos of luggage.
Prior to the creation of this store, the devotees could not find anything to carry to the Guru ghar after entering the corridor; however, they are now able to obtain the langar items.