The Langar Hall

The tradition of the langar (the communal feeding of pilgrims without charge or discrimination) is one of the most fundamental practices of the Sufi dargah tradition, an embodiment of the Islamic principle of hospitality (mehmaan nawazi) and of the specific Chishti tradition's emphasis on feeding the poor as a form of worship. At Furfura Sharif, the langar operates on a substantial scale, feeding thousands of pilgrims daily at ordinary times and tens of thousands during the urs.
The food served at the Furfura langar is simple Bengali Muslim cooking: rice, dal, vegetables, and occasionally a meat preparation (biryani or a simple curry), cooked in enormous deghs (cauldrons) over open fires and served on leaf plates to whoever presents themselves. Pilgrims who have travelled through the night to reach the dargah come to the langar as their first act on arrival; families whose vows (mannat) have been answered bring donations of food to be cooked and distributed; devotees serve as volunteer cooks and servers as an act of devotion. The atmosphere of the langar hall at peak feeding time with the steam rising from the deghs, the organised distribution, and the quiet of people eating together is one of the most distinctively Sufi experiences the complex offers.
Visitors of all faiths are welcome to eat at the langar: this is not a privilege but a right, in the tradition's own understanding. A donation to the langar fund (there will be a box near the entrance) is appropriate; it is not required. Sit where you are directed, eat what you are given, and leave when the serving is complete.