Covid effect: No chhabeel stalls in Ludhiana this year

Neither gurdwaras nor social workers are setting up chhabeel stalls, courtesy the fear of spread of coronavirus

With mercury touching 42.6 degree Celsius in the city, something has stayed amiss for commuters braving the blistering summer wave — chhabeel, the chilled sweetened drink served at stalls by gurdwaras and social workers.

Serving chhabeel along the roadside during summers is an age-old tradition associated with the fifth Sikh guru, Guru Arjan Dev. This year, the guru’s martrydom day will be observed on May 26. (HT photo for representation)

Serving chhabeel along the roadside during summers is an age-old tradition associated with the fifth Sikh guru, Guru Arjan Dev. This year, the guru’s martrydom day will be observed on May 26, but it is for the first time that neither gurdwaras nor social workers are setting up chhabeel stalls, courtesy the fear of spread of coronavirus.

Prithvipal Singh, 58, of Chander Nagar, is one of the many social workers had been setting up stalls of chhabeel every summer from mid-May to June-end for the past 40 years. “There used to be a huge rush of commuters at the stalls. Children travelling back home after school in buses, rickshaw-pullers and auto drivers used to have chilled water from the stalss to beat the heat. It is for the first time I will not be serving chhabeel to avoid the spread of the virus. Nothing is the same this year,” he said.

For a rickshaw puller, Hari Om, 46, it is difficult to commute amid the sweltering heat. “Earlier, we used to get chhabeel stalls in every area but these days we cannot even find clean water to drink. I had filled a water bottle to carry with me this morning, but by afternoon, this water became too hot to drink. Some shopkeepers help by refilling the bottle, but some just insist on buying one, which I have to,” he said.

CHANGING TIMES

Due to coronavirus, the guru’s martyrdom day will not be observed the same way in gurdwaras like it used to be. Management committees of some gurdwaras in the city have decided not to serve langar.

However, Inderjit Singh from the management committee of Gurdwara Singh Sabha, Model Town Extension, said that considering the safety of residents not more than 50 devotees will be allowed to sit in the prayer hall at a time. Proper social distancing will be followed, said Singh, adding that this year, no chhabeel will be served and langar will be distributed to the devotees in packets.

However, Jaspal Singh Thukral from Gurdwara Singh Sabha, Sarabha Nagar, said they will serve chhabeel but only to the devotees visiting the gurdwara, but not in the open. “Further, the langar hall is being properly sanitised daily and volunteers (sewadars) are provided masks and gloves to prepare langar,” he said.