Tauranga Sikh temple serving 2000 free meals per week to wider community

A Tauranga Sikh temple serving about 2000 free meals per week says the cost-of-living crisis has had a “big impact” on the demand for food.

It comes as the annual Sikh parade takes place in Tauranga on Sunday.

Tauranga’s Gurudwara Sikh Sangat temple president Puran Singh told the Bay of Plenty Times the temple offered free vegetarian food, such as rice, lentils, mixed vegetables, chapati, yoghurt and drinks such as tea, coffee and water.

“People can come any time if they’ve got no food.”

On weekdays, more than 200 people went for a meal whereas on weekends, about 500 people would “come and go” for meals, he said.

Singh said 10 to 15 volunteers helped on weekdays to cook, clean and wash up. On weekends, there were 80 to 100 volunteers.

On weekdays, the temple used 20kg of flour for chapati. On Sundays, when the temple held a worship service, it used 60kg of flour.

Gurudwara Sikh Sangat temple priest Satnam Singh (left) and president Puran Singh. Photo / Alex Cairns

Singh said the cost-of-living crisis had a “big impact” on the demand for food at the temple because supermarket prices were “high”.

He said everyone was welcome to come for a meal - the only restriction was that people could not drink alcohol or cause “any trouble”.

Singh said the programme had been running since 2012. The temple did not receive any funding for food and members donated, which meant the temple could offer meals at no cost.

He said the Sikh religion believed in helping people in need, such as by providing food. This was particularly evident during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In 2020, the Tauranga Sikh Society put together free food parcels for those in need to collect. The initiative had been rolled out to Sikh temples across the country, in turn helping thousands of people.

Growth of Sikh community in Tauranga ‘good for everybody’

Singh said the Sikh community in Tauranga and Te Puke had grown “very large”, with about 7000 members.

In 2012, when the temple opened, there were between 1500 and 2000 members, Singh said.

He said people in the Sikh community were drawn to jobs in the kiwifruit industry.

“Most people are coming from the village and they love to work in farms so that’s why we have a large community here, especially from Auckland ... a lot of people are moving to Tauranga.”

Gurudwara Sikh Sangat temple president Puran Singh and priest Satnam Singh. Photo / Alex Cairns

Singh, who has lived in Tauranga for the last 25 years, said the growth of the community was “good for everybody”.

He said people from Katikati, Te Puke, Rotorua, Whakatāne and Waihi would travel to visit the temple in Tauranga.

“We are from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, but we are all New Zealanders.”

Tauranga Sikh parade this Sunday

More than 1500 people are expected at the Sikh parade on Sunday.

Starting and finishing at the temple on Burrows St in Tauranga, the parade will run from 11am to 3pm.

The parade will stop at a playground - where speeches will be held - and will continue to Memorial Park.

Singh said the parade celebrates the 10th Master Guru Gobind Singh JI and showcases Sikh culture.

Free food, soft drinks and mango lassi will be served.

Information on the Tauranga City Council website says Devonport Rd will be closed between 11th and 14th Ave, as will parts of 14th Ave, 13th Ave, 11th Ave, Fraser St and Burrows St from 11am to 3pm on Sunday.

Almost 5000 Sikhs gathered at the annual street parade in 2016 while in 2017, Tauranga’s Avenues area was flooded in colour and culture as the parade made its way through the streets.

Megan Wilson is a health and general news reporter for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has been a journalist since 2021.