Langar khana

A Langar Khana (lit. 'Alms-house') is the place in a Sufi dargah where free food called Langar is distributed to all, and where food is prepared to be given to the poor.

The Degs

In a large Dergah there are two Degs (cauldrons for cooking food) on either side of the Saham Chiragh (courtyard lamp) fixed into solid masonry in which a palatable mixture of rice sugar, ghee (butter) and dried fruits is cooked for distribution to the public as tabarruk. The circumference at the edge of the larger cauldron is 10-1/4 feet. It cooks 70 mounds of rice, while the smaller Deg takes 28 mounds. In the Dergah at Ajmer one of them was presented by Akbar in 1567 A.D. The princes or the well-to-do pilgrims order these Degs to be cooked generally during the Urs period.

The Langar Khana at Ajmer

Bari Deg : Inside the Sahan-e-Chiragh and on the right side of Buland Darwaza is located Bari Deg. Emperor Akbar pledged to visit Ajmer Sharif on foot and presented a large cauldron if victorious in Chittaurgarh battle. So he kept his words after winning the battle. The circumference of the cauldron (Deg) is 12.5 yards and 125 mounds of rice can be cooked in it at a time. It was presented in 976 Hijra.

Chhoti Deg : It is located on the left side of Buland Darwaza inside Sahan-e-Chiragh. It was presented by Sultan Nooruddin Jahangir in 1013 Hijra. Eighty mounds of rice can be cooked in it at a time.