We’re at Guru Gobind Singh Gurdwara. It’s a purpose-built building, the largest Gurdwara (Sikh temple) in Bradford. Every day, we get a lot of worshippers come through the doors, and they’re fed. What we call langar is served to all the community. No matter who walks in, they’re served, and it’s free of charge

Everybody’s equal in here. They’re welcome, if they follow the few rules of the Gurdwara: so long as they’re dressed modestly, cover their head and remove their shoes, and that they are not under any influence of drugs.

I came to UK back in March 1961. I can remember the Holy Granth Sahib, our holy book, used to be brought from Leeds just twice a year. We used to hire St George’s Hall, or Queen’s Hall on Morley Street. In them days there were only a handful of Sikhs, so it was big enough for us to do all the catering and have prayers and a reading of the Holy Granth Sahib.

Back in 1965, we found a small warehouse, which is now part of the car park of the Gurdwara, that was the first Bradford Gurdwara, here at the bottom of Leeds Road. Then this piece of land came up for sale and the committee decided to purchase that for the purpose built Gurdwara. That would be approximately 1973, and it’s been extended a few times since and modernised.

We normally arrive around about half six in the morning to prepare food. We serve seven days a week from approximately 7am, non-stop until 7pm, every day of the year. Whilst cooking we become like a team, and we can discuss stuff and iron out any minor issues. It’s a community knit congregation and it doesn’t matter whether somebody’s a millionaire or a beggar, they have the right to sit anywhere with any other people. Everybody’s equal.

Everybody comes here for prayer. Week days, mostly it’s about 300-400 people. On a weekend, Friday to Sunday, we get approximately 2,000 people. On a festival day, then it’s many thousands. We get massive queues.

Every day I make langar. Me and my partners, the other ladies that help me. I’m coming every day at half past six. On weekdays, I’m going back at four o’clock. Weekends, I’m going home five o’clock. I’m coming here daily, seven days a week.

When I’m here I forget home. I never pick up my phone. Everybody rings me, but I leave my telephone in the storeroom. All my children are married, they’ve got their own houses, they’re doing everything themselves. So I tell them not to worry, that all my heart is here. I’m very happy here, you know. I’m very proud to do voluntary service. We class everybody as our brother, sister, auntie, uncle, you know? Everybody’s the same. We work like a big family, the whole congregation, So it’s a sense of family.