Emperor Akbar Eats in the Langar

Dadi: "Guddu beta, do you know what a langar is?"

Guddu: "Yes Dadi! It's where they give free food at the Gurdwara. Mommy took me once."

Dadi: "*smiles* Good! Did you know that even the most powerful emperor in India once had to wait in line at a langar, just like everyone else?"

Guddu: "An emperor? Waiting in line? But emperors get whatever they want!"

Dadi: "*chuckles* Not at Guru Amar Das Ji's langar. Let me tell you this wonderful story."

Guddu: "Who was Guru Amar Das Ji?"

Dadi: "He was the third Guru of the Sikhs, beta. A very holy and wise man. He had a rule that made his langar special - everyone, whether they were rich or poor, king or beggar, had to sit on the ground together and eat the same food."

Guddu: "Everyone? Even kings?"

Dadi: "Even kings! The Guru had a saying - "Pehle Pangat, Phir Sangat" - meaning, "First eat in the common kitchen, then come to meet the Guru." No exceptions!"

Guddu: "That's a strong rule!"

Dadi: "Now, there was a great emperor named Akbar. He ruled over all of India - millions and millions of people. He had heard wonderful things about Guru Amar Das Ji and wanted to meet him."

Guddu: "Did the Guru come to his palace?"

Dadi: "No, beta. The Guru stayed at Goindval, his town in Punjab. So Emperor Akbar traveled there himself. He arrived with his royal guards and servants, dressed in silk and gold, expecting... well, what do you think he expected?"

Guddu: "Maybe a special welcome? A throne to sit on?"

Dadi: "Exactly! But instead, the Guru's people politely told him, "Your Majesty, before you can meet Guru Ji, you must first sit in the langar and eat with everyone else.""

Guddu: "*giggles* Oh no! What did Akbar say?"

Dadi: "His courtiers were probably very shocked. The great Emperor of India, asked to sit on the floor with common farmers and workers? Maybe even with people who swept streets or cleaned shoes? In those days, people of different castes never ate together. It was considered very wrong."

Guddu: "Did Akbar get angry?"

Dadi: "*shakes her head* Here's what makes Akbar special. He was a true seeker of wisdom. He didn't care about his pride - he cared about truth. So you know what he did?"

Guddu: "What?"

Dadi: "He took off his fancy royal clothes, sat down on the ground in the rows with farmers, traders, sweepers, and people of all kinds. They gave him a simple plate with dal and roti - just lentils and bread."

Guddu: "Did he eat it?"

Dadi: "*laughs* He ate it with such enjoyment that he asked for a second serving! The Emperor of India, who ate from golden plates in his palace, was happily eating simple food from a common plate, sitting on the dusty ground."

Guddu: "That's really cool, Dadi. Then what happened?"

Dadi: "After finishing his meal, Akbar was brought to meet Guru Amar Das Ji. The Guru was very old, but his face glowed with a special light. Akbar was amazed. He asked, "What food do you eat, Guru Ji, that your face shines so brightly even at this age?""

Guddu: "What did the Guru say?"

Dadi: "*smiles* "O Emperor, I eat the same simple food that you just had in the langar." The Guru was teaching him - real glow comes from serving others and loving God, not from fancy foods."

Guddu: "That's a smart answer!"

Dadi: "Akbar was so impressed that he wanted to help. He said, "Guru Ji, you feed so many people every day. Let me give you some villages. The money from those lands can pay for the langar.""

Guddu: "Free money! Did the Guru take it?"

Dadi: "No, beta. And this is important. The Guru said, "God provides what we need. My Sikhs give what they can from their honest earnings. Whatever comes today is spent today, and for tomorrow, I trust in God.""

Guddu: "Why didn't he want the money?"

Dadi: "Because if the langar depended on the emperor's money, it wouldn't be free anymore. What if the next emperor stopped the money? What if there were strings attached? The Guru wanted the langar to belong to the people, not to any king."

Guddu: "Smart thinking!"

Dadi: "But the Guru did ask for one thing. Not for himself - for the people. In those days, Hindus had to pay a special tax when they crossed rivers to go on pilgrimages. The Guru asked Akbar to remove this unfair tax."

Guddu: "Did he?"

Dadi: "Yes! Akbar was so moved that the Guru asked for nothing for himself but asked something for his people. He ordered the tax removed."

Guddu: "Dadi, is the langar still happening today?"

Dadi: "*beams* Yes, beta! At every Gurdwara in the world - in India, in America, in England, everywhere - they serve free langar meals. Millions of people eat there every single day. And still, everyone sits together, and everyone gets the same food."

Guddu: "Even if a president came?"

Dadi: "Even if a president came. The rule hasn't changed in five hundred years. In the langar, everyone is equal."

Guddu: "I like that, Dadi. No one is more important than anyone else."

Dadi: "*hugs him* That's the whole point, my little one. In the eyes of God, we're all the same - whether we wear a crown or torn clothes. And sharing food together reminds us of that."

Guddu: "Next time we go to the Gurdwara, I'll think of Emperor Akbar sitting on the floor!"

Dadi: "*laughs* And eating dal roti with a big smile on his face!"