Around 300 people from United Kingdom have come to Patna to serve food in langars being organised to mark Prakash Utsav - the 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh.
Many were information technology (IT) professionals, who were found serving food to people in the tent city at Kangan Ghat.
Clad in white kurta-pyjama, the Sikhs, who are settled in Birmingham, felt satisfied in serving food at the langar set up in Patna City, a kilometre from Takht Sri Harmandir Sahib gurdwara.
They represented Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha (GNNSJ) and have reached Patna two days back to serve at langars.
"We are here to serve food and it gives us great pleasure," said Sukhbir Singh, the person who is coordinating with the team from UK.
Four langars were organised at Kangan Ghat for 5,000 people each. Every day more than 20,000 people are eating at the langars in which pulao, daal, roti, mixed vegetables and jalebis are being served.
"Langar functions round-the-clock and those who visit do not go empty stomach. Even if there is one person inside the langar, food would be served," said one of the team members.
A huge kitchen has been set up, where people from the Sikh community were found cooking. Sukhbir said around 35,000 people had food at the langars on Wednesday and on Thursday the number went up to 40,000.
Deep Singh, a software engineer based in UK, said: "I have left my family home and come here to serve the people. Guru Gobind Singh has passed on the message to serve the hungry and help the needy. We are fortunate and blessed that we have got the opportunity to be part of this grand celebration." People from UK are putting up at a hotel near the gurdwara.
More than people from the Sikh community, those from the state filled the seats in langars.
Ram Singh, a chemical engineer from Britain, said: "It gives us great happiness in serving food at langars. There is no discrimination and people from any community can have food here. Even beggars are most welcome. We will go back to the UK once the celebration is over. Till then, we will be here to serve food," Ram said.
Tourism department principal secretary Harjot Kaur, deputy inspector-general (central range) Shalin, senior superintendent of police Manu Maharaaj and superintendent of police (traffic) P.K. Das visited the area to check the langar arrangements.
It is expected around 70,000 people will have food at the langars from January 1 to 5 when the main function would be at its peak as more people will be arriving in Patna City.
Those from the UK shied from sharing details on them because they believe they were here to serve the people and not get their names published in newspapers.
However, many were found praising the Bihar government for the arrangements and said they had never seen such arrangements anywhere, not even in Punjab.
