50,000 Sikhs Celebrate Vaisakhi with Mass Buffet in Madison Square Park

Posted by Joe DiStefano, April 27, 2009 at 12:00 PM

When I first learned about the communal buffet held in conjunction with the 22nd annual Sikh Day Parade in Madison Square Park on Saturday, my reaction was: “Do I really like Indian vegetarian fare enough to cope with a 50,000-strong crowd?” About the same number of folks flocked to the park last year for the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party. Ultimately I decided to attend the mass feeding, which is an integral part of the Sikh celebration Vaisakhi. The holiday commemorates the founding of Sikhism in 1699.

Preparing food for 50,000 is no small undertaking, especially if it’s done just a day beforehand. “You can’t cook this stuff a week in advance and keep it,” Harpreet Singh Toor, chairman of the Sikh Cultural Society pointed out. The cooking was done in 100 kitchens across the tri-state area, including homes, restaurants, and langars, or communal kitchens, like this one at the Sikh Cultural Society. Before entering, I removed my shoes and was issued a bright orange scarf to cover my head.

The Sikh Cultural Society’s communal kitchen was just one of 37 in Richmond Hill. While other items were prepared there, this langar’s main focus was making roti, and lots of it, 700 pounds to be exact. The men and women churning out this staggering amount of bread make the ladies at Jackson Heights’ Tawa Deli look like amateurs. Thirty or so people engaged in the mass bread making performed various tasks all the while chanting, “Sat naam wahe guru,” or, “only his name is true.”

After being formed by hand the roti were griddled on the tawa.

When transporting this many roti it makes sense to use the “largest cooler ever.” Harpreet says the orange head coverings represent happiness and spring. I think they have more to do with matching the color of freshly made roti.

By the time my friend and I arrived on Saturday it was so hot and crowded that we felt lucky to grab this plate of food. That golden fried dough contained a lightly spiced mixture of peas, potatoes, and chickpeas among other things. “This is delicious. What is it?” I asked a Sikh kid chowing down next to me. “They call that a samosa.” The flattened packet of veggie deliciousness was a far cry from some of the leaden pyramids I’ve eaten.

This cup of rose lassi was quite refreshing in the sweltering heat.

There was plenty of other food on hand, including fresh fruit, but the only other thing we scored was this plate of pakora, or mixed vegetable fritters in chickpea flour. Those shocking orange orbs are gajjar ka halwa, a carrot-based sweet shot through with slivered almonds and perfumed with a hint of cardamom.

Revelers taking a break outside the, ahem, Sikh Shack.

Despite the crowds, the Vaisakhi mass buffet was a wonderful experience. As I left the park about a dozen children were singing “God Bless America.” Indeed, and Richmond Hill, too.

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Tags: buffets, events, Indian, Madison Square Park, Richmond Hill