Mata Khivi - Establishment of Langar

Dadi**: "Guddu, you know how we go to the Gurudwara and eat langar together with everyone?"

Guddu**: "Yes! Rich and poor sit together on the floor!"

Dadi**: "Do you know who established this beautiful tradition? A woman named Mata Khivi - one of the most remarkable women in Sikh history."

Guddu**: "A woman started langar?"

Dadi**: "She made it what it is! Mata Khivi was the wife of Guru Angad Dev, the second Sikh Guru. When Guru Nanak started the langar, it was simple. But Mata Khivi transformed it into something extraordinary."

Guddu**: "How did she do that?"

Dadi**: "She didn't just cook - she supervised, managed, and personally served food to thousands. Under her care, the langar became famous across Punjab. People would say, 'The food at Khadur Sahib is blessed!'"

Guddu**: "Was the food that good?"

Dadi**: "The Guru Granth Sahib itself mentions her! It says she served 'the ambrosial dish of rice boiled in ghee along with sweet drink' - kheer and puri cooked with such love that visitors felt they were eating nectar!"

Guddu**: "Wow, mentioned in the holy book!"

Dadi**: "She's one of the very few women mentioned by name. The scripture calls her 'the mother who gave soothing shade' and says she 'distributed the bounty of the Guru's langar in abundance.'"

Guddu**: "What made her so special?"

Dadi**: "She understood that langar wasn't just about feeding stomachs - it was about feeding dignity. In those days, high-caste and low-caste people couldn't eat together. But in Mata Khivi's kitchen, the king and the sweeper sat side by side."

Guddu**: "Everyone was equal!"

Dadi**: "That was revolutionary! She personally made sure everyone felt welcome. She'd walk among the rows, serving more food, asking 'Have you eaten enough?' Her smile made the poor feel like honored guests."

Guddu**: "She sounds so kind."

Dadi**: "And practical! She managed a huge operation. Donations had to be collected, stored properly. Vegetables had to be bought. Cooking for hundreds required planning. She was like a CEO, but with infinite love."

Guddu**: "Did she do anything else?"

Dadi**: "After Guru Angad passed, she helped maintain the Sikh community during the difficult transition. She raised children who became leaders. She lived to see her grandson become Guru Ram Das."

Guddu**: "A grandmother of a Guru!"

Dadi**: "But she never sought power or recognition. She found joy in service. Every time she filled a bowl, she was practicing what the Gurus taught - that serving others is serving God."

Guddu**: "Dadi, that's like you cooking for our whole family!"

Dadi**: *laughing* "On a much smaller scale, beta! But yes, every meal prepared with love carries the spirit of Mata Khivi. When we feed someone hungry, we continue her work."

Guddu**: "Next time I go to the Gurudwara, I'll think of her."

Dadi**: "And next time you see volunteers serving langar, remember - they're following a 500-year-old tradition started by a woman. A woman whose love was so great that it's still mentioned in holy scripture. Sleep now, and may you always be blessed with full stomachs and fuller hearts."

Guddu**: "Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji ki Fateh!"

Dadi**: "Sat Sri Akal, my child."