Data Darbar Langar! Poor’s Pearl continental (PC)

300 shops in shrine area from where people can purchase langar (rice daig and dal roti) and distribute this langar in the shrine. These shops sold almost 7000 to 10000 daigs of rice daily and each daig contains 3 kg rice.

There are lots of shrines in Lahore where pilgrims go and get langar (free food) and some give langar. The shrine of Hazrat Ali Hajveri, popularly known as Data Ganj Bakhsh, one of the earliest saints to introduce this land to Sufism and its spirit of brotherhood, where huge amount of langar is distributed among devotees and pilgrims. Langar is distributed in the shrine since centuries and now lots of devotees, pilgrims, the poor people of nearby residence and the workers who work in close to shrine but live outside the city eat langar to fill get rid of their hunger. A poor man who daily eats langar said langar is chineese food of pearl continental for him because when you didn’t have anything to eat then this langar is one of the best foods.

Daily thousands of people and pilgrims specially visit shrine of Data Gunj Bukhsh Ali Hajvari near Bhatti gate to eliminate the heat of starvation. In Ettiqaf hall 1500 to 2000 pilgrims and people eat langar after Mughrib prayer, said Muhammad Khalid the manager of the shrine. There are nearly 300 shops in shrine area from where people can purchase langar (rice daig and dal roti) and distribute this langar in the shrine. These shops sold almost 7000 to 10000 daigs of rice daily and each daig contains 3 kg rice. The shopkeepers told pilgrims that weight of daig is 6 kg because after cooking 3 kg rice the weight increase to approximately 5.5 kg and the price of this daig is 400 R.S. There are daigs of different size and weight. The manager told that Ettiqaf hall langar is sponsored by the Oqaf and some well-off people. There is the capacity of 8000 to sit and eat langar in Ettiqaf hall. Whenever you go to the darbar you will find a long row of males and females to get the langar from langar khana. It is restricted to take langar in the upper hall of shrine where people say prayers and Fateha but people violate and take langar there to hand out in pilgrims.

There is a Langar Khana in which langar is distributed that is brought by the pilgrims by administration of shrine. Langar Khana is remained open at 8am to 10pm. Thousands of people get langar from shrine daily and always there is a big procession of males and females to get langar. There are many complains about the division of langar by the management in Langar Khana. Some people say that they separate the good quality langar before the distribution for themselves specially milk and kheer. Many poor people of the surroundings of Darbar go there for langar to save the money. Manager told that they advise people to distribute langar by themselves instead of giving it to the management of the shrine. But there is very prominently written that give your niaz (langar which people brought from their home or purchase from outside the shrine to distribute among pilgrims and poors) to the langar khana.