Book: The Perfect Langar Dal
Author: Sanjana Kapur
Illustrator: Kavita Singh Kale
Publisher: Talking Cub (an imprint of Speaking Tiger Books)
Type of book: Paperback
Length: 64 pages
Recommended age: 8-12 years
Some books take you back to a part of yourself that you didn’t even realise you had forgotten! Sanjana Kapur’s book, The Perfect Langar Dal brought back memories from my childhood – of attending the Prabhat Pheris with my parents, of serving Langar, of peeling endless onions in the Gurdwara, and of the heavenly smell of the steaming hot Langar dal, served hot on a pattal!
The story is about a little boy, Amal, who is all set to attend his first Gurpurab and this one is going to be uber special – Maan Singh, the cook from Golden Temple Amritsar is coming to their Gurdwara! Maan Singh prides himself on being completely self-dependent; however, this time he has made a grave mistake! Moreover, considering the fact that Langar dal needs to simmer overnight, his mistake might be devastating for him and the entire community. What was this mistake and how does he manage to overcome it? That is what ‘The Perfect Langar Dal’ is about. Amal, Simran and Angad are three friends who together set out to help Maan Singh save the Langar! To know how they manage to save the Langar, you’ll need to read the book.
Langar isn’t simply a meal served at a gurdwara. It is the warmth of being welcomed without being asked who you are. It is sitting shoulder-to-shoulder in pangat (in a line), eating the same food as everyone else. But, most of all it is about community – working together simply because there is seva to be done. The author has somehow managed to highlight all of these important aspects in her book. Each character, whether it is the grumpy Maan Singh or the big-hearted Dalbir Singh, has been described extremely well. In fact, at times the writing is so immersive, that I felt that I was right there in the Gurdwara kitchen running around with the kids, smelling the Langar dal, interacting with everyone in the community!
Being a Sikh, reading this to my son was extremely special. He has not been exposed much to religion so far, and that is what made the book so special – it is grounded in the Sikh values of Vand Chakho (share what you have), seva, compassion and community, in a way that feels accessible and meaningful for children. The three kids working together to help save the Langar reads like an adventure to little kids, while highlighting the qualities of empathy, compassion and importance of community.
One of the key strengths of the book is its wonderful illustrations by Kavita Singh Kale. Even though they are in black and white, they are so detailed that they help bring the entire story to life. Seeing Maan Singh’s character wearing a beard cloth (known as a thata in Sikh households), I could almost imagine his stiff and sticky beard, and grumpy personality! So, kudos to the illustrator for paying great attention to the small details.
The book also has some amazing facts about Sikhism and related activities at the end (including the recipe for Langar Dal). The facts on the five K’s helped me have a discussion with my son on why I wear the kada. A truly brilliant book that makes the values of Sikhism understandable to the little ones through an exciting adventure story!
CLICK & ORDER NOW!Disclaimer: Amardeep and her son Neil are part of the #kbcReviewerSquad and received this book as a review copy from the publisher via kbc.
