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Badrinath, Uttarakhand
This place receives a stream of Hindu pilgrims.
Not only is it a temple, but it is also a shelter for poor Hindu holy men.
At this shelter, you will see a common practice.
A person gives money to the Hindu holy men as they eat.
Although, only a small amount of money is given to each holy men,
the bills are new ones and it's a sign of respect.
Pandit If you want to be close to god, you must donate.
Making donations will bring you closer to god.
A life dedicated to god is one where you help your fellow people.
This could be the wish of the gods.
Harmandir Sahib, Punjab
Giving to others is also a virtue in Sikhism.
Sikhism: A religion that is similar to Islam in its belief that there is only one god and Hinduism, where life is believed to be a cycle of reincarnation.
This is the cafeteria in the Harmandir Sahib.
Guru ka Langar A free kitchen where people are provided with food regardless of their religious beliefs, caste, or race.
Anyone can eat a free meal here.
Regardless of your religion or caste, everyone is served a meal.
It is a warm shelter for poor people and tired pilgrims.
About 150,000 people eat here every day.
The pot is quite large as you can see.
It needs to be that big to prepare 1,700 servings.
All of these people are volunteers.
They came to the temple as part of their pilgrimage
and now volunteer their time at the kitchen.
This volunteering spirit is instilled in Sikhs at an early age.
The volunteers also wash the dishes.
Even after preparing meals for hundreds of thousands of people,
none of the volunteers quarrel amongst each other.
They've been doing this volunteer work for many years.
Their small acts of kindness and donations given in the name of god have led them
to make social contributions at a tremendous scale.