Sikhs Gear up for Olympics Langgar 2012

Sikhs Gear up for Olympics Langgar 2012

When: Saturday 21st July 2012 at 7am in Greenwich to 8pm at Waltham Forest
Where: At key points of the 30 mile Olympics Torch Route from Greenwich Park to Waltham Forest Town Hall
What: Service of free Roti Rolls Langgar to the public to commemorate the carrying of the Torch by 101 yr old marathoner Bhai Fauja Singh

"We are proud to share with the public the 500 year old Sikh tradition of serving free meals, (langgar), to celebrate the carrying of the Olympic Torch on 21st July 2012 by 101 year old marathoner, Bhai Bhai Fauja Singh," said Parvinder Kaur, Project Manager of Langgar 2012.

"Vaheguru Almighty has given me all the opportunities to do all the other things in life both sporting and personal. I pray that Vaheguru will allow me to fulfil this dream of carrying the torch in my home city in less than a fortnight. It would be the icing on the cake. To me this is as important as when I received a telegram from the Queen on my 100th Birthday last year," he added with a smile.  

• Click here to watch a trailer on the Langgar 2012 event and on how to make Roti Rolls.
• Tune in to Sikh Channel TODAY (10th July 2012) at 9:45pm (UK Time) at SKY 840 or at www.sikhchannel.tv, or Tune in to Sangat TV TOMORROW (11th July 2012) at 4.30pm (UK Time) on SKY 847 or online at sangattelevision.org, to watch an interview with Bhai Fauja Singh during the launch of Langgar 2012

London, UK, 10th July 2012– On 21st July 2012, the eyes of the global community will be on Fauja Singh, the 101 year-old marathon runner, the oldest torch bearer at London 2012, who will be carrying the Torch on the 64th day of the Olympics Torch Relay, when it reaches Newham, where the Olympic Stadium is located.

To celebrate the wonderful achievements of this under-spoken treasure of the Sikh community, UNITED SIKHS, a UN Affiliated International advocacy, humanitarian relief and human development charity, alongside Gurdwaras and Sikhs from the UK and around the world will be participating in an unforgettable celebration of how Sikhs embrace diversity.

David Cameron, the UK Prime Minister, often speaks of The Big Society: we as Sikhs are an active example of this. A core premise of Sikhism is "seva" – selfless service. This is what we hope to demonstrate through Langgar 2012 – we will be serving thousands of free vegetarian meals along the 30-mile Olympics Torch Relay Route on 21st July 2012. In effect we will be serving the community, especially of East London, who have worked so hard as hosts of the London Olympics, and showcasing how community food can bring people from all walks of life together.

Paul Uppal, MP for Wolverhampton South West, who has been backing the project since its inception, remarks, "I am happy to be a part of this fantastic event as it embodies everything that I believe in as a Sikh and as a Conservative promoting the Big Society. I am looking forward to seeing Gurdwaras from all over the country come together to serve others in the name of faith and community."

Bhai Fauja Singh attends Langgar2012 briefing	Executive Chef Gurpreet Singh (in stripes) showing Sevadar how to make Roti Rolls

What is Langgar 2012?On 21st July 2012, to coincide with the legendary Fauja Singh carrying the Olympic Torch, Sikhs from across the world will unite in serving Langgar along the route of the Olympic Torch Relay. The Torch route map can be searched at www.london2012.com/torch-relay/route.

Branded in yellow t-shirts, specially designed with Fauja Singh's image, each volunteer, from the Sikh community and those invited from multiple faiths and backgrounds will come together to serve free meals to the local community of the five host boroughs of the Olympics.

How much Langgar do we expect to serve?It is expected that there will be several Langgar service points in each of the five boroughs that the Route traverses, each serving at least 1,000 Veg Roti Rolls within two hours. Should all go to plan, the Veg Roti Roll Langgar is anticipated to reach thousands of people who would have turned up to cheer the day the Torch arrives in Newham, where Bhai Fauja Singh will carry the Torch.

Who's participating?At present, 15 Gurdwaras from South and East London have agreed to participate and five more Gurdwaras are in the process of deciding. We are inviting Gurdwaras outside London from as far as north as Scotland to as far west as Wales to partner the London Gurdwaras to set up more Langgar 2012 service points. "Sikhs from around the world are invited to come to London for this event, which could be the largest Langgar event outside India," said Mejindarpal Kaur, UNITED SIKHS Project Director of Langgar 2012. For a list of participating Gurdwaras, click here.

You may read a previous press release on Langgar 2012 at: http://www.unitedsikhs.org/PressReleases/PRSRLS-06-06-2012-00.html.

Issued by:
Mejindarpal Kaur
Project Director, Langgar 2012
UNITED SIKHS
Phone: 07709830442