New Delhi | Updated: July 27, 2026
A day after the Jantar Mantar protests ended, Gurdwara Bangla Sahib in central Delhi returned to its usual weekend routine, with devotees replacing the protesting students who had stayed there for food and rest during the agitation.
On Sunday night, more than 24 hours after the protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party were called off, the gurdwara premises were seen bustling with devotees, young couples, senior citizens, and visitors.
A volunteer at the entrance said the protesters who had taken shelter at the gurdwara had gone back.
A small group of Central Reserve Police Force personnel was deployed at both entrances of the gurdwara, one from Ashoka Road and the other from Baba Kharak Singh Marg.
The gurdwara was carrying out its regular activities, with hundreds of devotees taking langar at the air-conditioned community dining hall on the ground floor.
Another queue of devotees was waiting to enter the first-floor sanctum, known for its iconic golden dome.
Since July 20, when Delhi Police and Rapid Action Force personnel used batons during the protests, hundreds of protesters had spent nights at Bangla Sahib on mattresses provided by the gurdwara management.
Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee president Harmeet Singh Kalka said around 2,500 to 3,000 students were served langar at Bangla Sahib every day during the protests.
He said the facilities were never stopped and no one was barred from entering the gurdwara.
Kalka added that the Sikh community had received appreciation from across the world for providing shelter and food to the protesting students.
He also rejected allegations made by former DSGMC presidents Paramjit Singh Sarna and Manjit Singh GK.
Kalka said they were making political statements out of frustration.
Sarna, who heads the Delhi unit of the Shiromani Akali Dal, had demanded the resignation of Kalka and his team.
He alleged that government agencies had dug up the approach road to Bangla Sahib after students took shelter at the historic gurdwara during the Jantar Mantar protest.
Kalka denied the allegation and clarified that no approach road had been dug up.
He said an underground power cable inside the premises had developed a fault and was being repaired.
Manjit Singh GK had alleged that attempts were made to stop langar seva for the protesting students.
Kalka rejected the claim, saying the langar is provided by the community and nothing was stopped.
Amid the political statements, Gurdwara Bangla Sahib continues to remain one of Delhi’s most prominent religious and community service centers.
Spread across nearly 10 acres, the complex includes the main shrine, the sacred Sarovar, a large community kitchen and dining hall, the Baba Baghel Singh Heritage Museum, and healthcare facilities.
The gurdwara also runs a charitable hospital and a low-cost diagnostic center, besides serving thousands of free meals daily through its langar.
