1) Food processing industry to touch $194 billion by 2015: ICAR official, Apeda
2) Starbucks expects India to be among top 5 global markets in long term, IBEF
3) The aspirations of a billion people of India will ensure prosperity: Mukesh Ambani, IBN
4) FII inflow into Indian stocks crosses $7 bn - SEBI to auction $11.3 bn bonds this month, Tribune
5) Canada to help Gujarat set up food security system, Times of India
6) Quality of research and science in India very high: International Development Research Centre, Times of India
7) Imported Fruits Juice Up Indian Markets, CNBC
8) China's Hydro-Hegemony, New York Times
9) Amritsar's Golden Temple welcomes tourists, Huffington Post
The total valuation of the food processing industry is expected to reach $194 billion by 2015 from a value of $121billion in 2012. This was indicated bySwapan Dutta, deputy director general of ICAR at the valedictory session of Agri Horti Fest 2013, organised by Indian Chamber of Commerce.
The net export of processed food is expected to outreach its present value of $43 billion. Mr Dutta said that the sector directly employs 13 million and 35 million people are indirectly involved. He urged for higher involvement of scientists and policy makers to help increase productivity enabling farmers to earn more. He said that higherinvestments should come in for infrastructure development to store perishable goods and reduce their wastage during buffer production.
West Bengal minister for food processing and horticulture Mr Subrata Saha said that identifying the need of farmers, approaching them and working closely with them is the need of the hour. Agricultural marketing needs to be focused on and promoted to match production in order to attain fruitful results.
Regarding development of food processing industries in the state, he said that multi-pronged strategies have been taken by the state government to reduce wastage of produced goods. "Extensive loss of tomato will be stemmed by the state government through construction of food processing centers in Cooch Behar.
In similar ways, food processing units will be constructed for storing and processing perishable items like mango, litchi, pineapple and orange across the state. Food parks are developed to capture the immense potential of the industry," Saha said. Saha requested Indian Chamber of Commerce to invite medium and small scale entrepreneurs to participate in developing the state's food processing industry.
Food processing unit is setup in Murshidabad produces tomato pulp, which eventually is provided to large industries as raw material. During his deliberations, he said that the government is planning to set up model horticulture farms in different districts and blocks of the state which will have an integrated structure comprising all the allied sectors of agriculture like dairy, horticulture, vermin-compost etc.
The net export of processed food is expected to outreach its present value of $43 billion. Mr Dutta said that the sector directly employs 13 million and 35 million people are indirectly involved. He urged for higher involvement of scientists and policy makers to help increase productivity enabling farmers to earn more. He said that higherinvestments should come in for infrastructure development to store perishable goods and reduce their wastage during buffer production.
West Bengal minister for food processing and horticulture Mr Subrata Saha said that identifying the need of farmers, approaching them and working closely with them is the need of the hour. Agricultural marketing needs to be focused on and promoted to match production in order to attain fruitful results.
Regarding development of food processing industries in the state, he said that multi-pronged strategies have been taken by the state government to reduce wastage of produced goods. "Extensive loss of tomato will be stemmed by the state government through construction of food processing centers in Cooch Behar.
In similar ways, food processing units will be constructed for storing and processing perishable items like mango, litchi, pineapple and orange across the state. Food parks are developed to capture the immense potential of the industry," Saha said. Saha requested Indian Chamber of Commerce to invite medium and small scale entrepreneurs to participate in developing the state's food processing industry.
Food processing unit is setup in Murshidabad produces tomato pulp, which eventually is provided to large industries as raw material. During his deliberations, he said that the government is planning to set up model horticulture farms in different districts and blocks of the state which will have an integrated structure comprising all the allied sectors of agriculture like dairy, horticulture, vermin-compost etc.
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IBEF
The Hindu Business Line: February 06, 2013
New Delhi: US coffee chain Starbucks, which opened its seventh store in the country on Wednesday, expects India to be among the top five global markets for the company in the long term.
John Culver, President, Starbucks Coffee China and Asia Pacific, said, "We are committed to the Indian market for the long term and we are looking to grow our business aggressively, expand stores, make investments and offer locally relevant innovations."
He did not specify the company's expansion plans or investment figures but said that India is expected to be among the top five global markets of the company in the long term.
This is the company's flagship store in New Delhi. It already has presence in the NCR region through two stores at the Delhi International Airport, besides four stores in Mumbai.
Starbucks entered the Indian market in October 2012, and its stores operate under a 50:50 joint venture partnership between Starbucks Coffee Co and Tata Global Beverages called Tata Starbucks Ltd.
He also said that the company was committed to ethically sourcing and roasting coffee through its partnership with Tata Coffee to elevate the story of the Indian coffee farmer, a unique initiative being undertaken in India.
The store at Delhi reflected examples of Indian craft of weaving and sported handicrafts made by local artists. The company has kept the Indian palette in mind as the menu includes Indian cuisine like Murg Makhani Pie, Mutton Seek in Roomali Roti, besides also offering Tata Tazo tea which is a co-branded product under its partnership with Tata Global Beverages.
On future locations that have been identified for opening new stores, Avani Saglani Davda, CEO, Tata Starbucks, said India offers diverse growth opportunities and the company will thoughtfully open stores in locations, "where customers want and expect us to be."
Copyright © 2013, Kasturi & Sons Ltd., Chennai All Rights Reserved.
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IBN
Business, Updated Feb 11, 2013 at 11:29am IST
In an exclusive interview to CNN, Reliance Industries Limited Chairman Mukesh Ambani said that he was bullish on India and that he was more than thrilled with the India growth story.
Speaking to Fareed Zakaria, Mukesh Ambani added that the aspirations of the Indian people will translate into prosperity.
Below is an excerpt from the interview.
Fareed Zakaria: Tell me, you have a vantage point to look at the global economy. You run India's largest company. Where do you think we are five years after the financial crisis began?
Mukesh Ambani: Well, I am more optimistic than most. And my view is that this year we will see the beginning of a recovery, particularly in the US... There has been a fundamental transformation in the energy scene in the US. For many decades, we have heard that the US will be independent of foreign imports of energy. Realistically, I can now tell you that it is my judgment that this will happen in the next five or seven years. The US has truly found non-conventional energy in shale oil and gas... I am very bullish on India because it is really the aspiration of a billion people and ours is a country where all the billion people count. There are some countries in the world where one person counts, there are some where the Politburo or 12 people count. The Treaty of India is that all our billion people count and they have aspirations.
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The Tribune
Mumbai, February 10
Investments by overseas investors in the Indian stock markets since the beginning of 2013 has crossed US $7 billion mark, out of which more than $3 billion were pumped in the month of February alone. Foreign institutional investors infused a net amount of $ .23 billion (about Rs 17,211 crore) during February, taking the total for 2013 so far to $ 7.29 billion (Rs 39,270 crore ) for Indian stocks.
Market analysts attributed strong FII inflows to signs of easing interest rates by the Reserve Bank and the subsequent impact of improved liquidity position.
Additionally, a slew of measures taken by the government, including the postponement of GAAR (General Anti Avoidance Rules)implementation by two years to April 1, 2016 and partial decontrol in diesel prices have also attracted foreign investors.
In February, FIIs were gross buyers of shares worth Rs 34,298 crore, while they sold equities amounting to Rs 17,087 crore, translating into a net investment of Rs 17,211 crore ($ 3.23 billion), as per data available with capital markets regulator Securities & Exchange Board of India.
Foreign fund houses also infused Rs 1,249 crore ($ 234 million) in the debt market in February. This takes the overall net investments by FIIs into debt markets at Rs 4,196 crore ($ 785 million) so far this calendar year.
"FIIs have been betting high on Indian equities since last six-seven months and reform measures taken by the government has further boosted the sentiments," Wellindia Executive Director Hemant Mamtani said.
"Besides, FIIs have been infusing money into the Indian market on account of change in RBI's monetary policy that have added liquidity to the system. This liquidity will help in growth of the country," he added.
FIIs bought equities worth $ 24.4 billion in 2012, about $ 5 billion below record purchases two years ago.
The stock market barometer Sensex has gained 58 points so far this year to end at 19,484.77 points on Friday.
As on Feb 8, the number of registered FIIs in the country stood at 1,761 and total number of subaccounts were 6,333.
Meanwhile, SEBI will auction bonds worth $11.3 billion this month, following the hike in investment caps for FIIs in corporate and government debt markets by $5 billion each.
The auction for allocation of available debt limits after the increase in investment ceilings will be conducted for FIIs on Feb 20 through an electronic bidding process. The move follows a decision by the RBI to enhance the limit for investment by FIIs in the long-term government debt securities by $5 billion to $15 bn and in the corporate non-infrastructure debt category to $5 bn. — PTI
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The Times of India
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Canada-to-help-Gujarat-set-up-food-security-system/articleshow/18456957.cms
Canada to help Gujarat set up food security system
ByChitra Unnithan, TNN | Feb 12, 2013, 05.02 AM IST
AHMEDABAD: At a time when the proposed National Food Security Bill is being debated, the Canadian government has expressed interest in helping Gujarat reduce food-related issues.
In a meeting with Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, the head of government of Canada's Manitoba province, Greg Selinger said the Manitoba government will set up its Food Development Centre in the state.
"The centre, to be operated by the Manitoba government, is expected to be set up at the mega food park at Savli by Anil Group, and will help farmers get better prices for their produce and will help the agri-food industry to develop and commercialize food products," said Jagat Shah, foreign representative of government of Manitoba in India.
The centre will act as a common facility for companies setting up units at the park. From developing new products and processes, to piloting plant production and packaging, the Food Development Centre assists food businesses in every stage of product development. The centre also helps companies launch new products and enhance quality and market potential of existing products. The research lab at the centre has helped many small and medium-sized food companies sustain themselves.
According to Shah, the Manitoba government expressed particular interest in working with the nutraceuticals segment.
The system will promptly help the state government locate and remove unsafe products in case of a recall, beside minimizing the cost in disposing of products in the marketplace.
The University of Manitoba will also tie up with an agriculture university in Manitoba for joint research on food security.
In a meeting with Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, the head of government of Canada's Manitoba province, Greg Selinger said the Manitoba government will set up its Food Development Centre in the state.
"The centre, to be operated by the Manitoba government, is expected to be set up at the mega food park at Savli by Anil Group, and will help farmers get better prices for their produce and will help the agri-food industry to develop and commercialize food products," said Jagat Shah, foreign representative of government of Manitoba in India.
The centre will act as a common facility for companies setting up units at the park. From developing new products and processes, to piloting plant production and packaging, the Food Development Centre assists food businesses in every stage of product development. The centre also helps companies launch new products and enhance quality and market potential of existing products. The research lab at the centre has helped many small and medium-sized food companies sustain themselves.
According to Shah, the Manitoba government expressed particular interest in working with the nutraceuticals segment.
The system will promptly help the state government locate and remove unsafe products in case of a recall, beside minimizing the cost in disposing of products in the marketplace.
The University of Manitoba will also tie up with an agriculture university in Manitoba for joint research on food security.
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The Times of India
PTI | Feb 11, 2013, 09.55 PM IST
"The quality of research and science in India is very high and that is why IDRC has chosen the country for its research in agriculture, water and climate change, besides waste management," IDRC President David M Malone told PTI.
COIMBATORE: Canada-based International Development Research Centre has chosen India for its research in agriculture and allied areas as the quality of research and science in the country is very high, a top official of the agency said today.
"The quality of research and science in India is very high and that is why IDRC has chosen the country for its research in agriculture, water and climate change, besides waste management," IDRC President David M Malone told PTI.
IDRC is spending nearly USD 260 million on various countries for research in agriculture and health sector, he said, adding India is being given USD 30 million for research projects, mainly in the agriculture sector, through Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) here.
On the ongoing projects in TNAU, Malone said IDRC is funding two projects: one on 'enhancing preservation of fruits in South India, under Canadian International Food Security Research Funds programme, which involves University of Guelph, Canada, TNAU and International Technology Institute, Sri Lanka and an NGO, MYRADA, with an outlay of Rs 4.99 crore.
Another Rs 1.47 crore project is on 'revalorising small millets: enhancing the food and nutritional security of women and children in rain-fed regions of South Asia using underutilised species, he said.
Canada also provides funds for research in health sector in India, he said.
On pulses, he said Canada, despite being the largest exporter of pulses to India, will be delighted to see india enhance production.
"We will be delighted to see India enhancing its production, since this would lead to food security globally and the International market will flood with pulses."
The enhanced production by India would not damage Canada's interests, as the global market faced shortage in pulses, he said.
"We will support India in its endeavour", he said to a question on funding by IDRC.
Malone, who was appointed Rector of the United Nations University, Tokyo, an international network of scholars that serves as a think-tank for the United Nations System, was here to review the projects and also to deliver a special lecture on 'Canada-India Research Partnership-present and future'.
"The quality of research and science in India is very high and that is why IDRC has chosen the country for its research in agriculture, water and climate change, besides waste management," IDRC President David M Malone told PTI.
IDRC is spending nearly USD 260 million on various countries for research in agriculture and health sector, he said, adding India is being given USD 30 million for research projects, mainly in the agriculture sector, through Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) here.
On the ongoing projects in TNAU, Malone said IDRC is funding two projects: one on 'enhancing preservation of fruits in South India, under Canadian International Food Security Research Funds programme, which involves University of Guelph, Canada, TNAU and International Technology Institute, Sri Lanka and an NGO, MYRADA, with an outlay of Rs 4.99 crore.
Another Rs 1.47 crore project is on 'revalorising small millets: enhancing the food and nutritional security of women and children in rain-fed regions of South Asia using underutilised species, he said.
Canada also provides funds for research in health sector in India, he said.
On pulses, he said Canada, despite being the largest exporter of pulses to India, will be delighted to see india enhance production.
"We will be delighted to see India enhancing its production, since this would lead to food security globally and the International market will flood with pulses."
The enhanced production by India would not damage Canada's interests, as the global market faced shortage in pulses, he said.
"We will support India in its endeavour", he said to a question on funding by IDRC.
Malone, who was appointed Rector of the United Nations University, Tokyo, an international network of scholars that serves as a think-tank for the United Nations System, was here to review the projects and also to deliver a special lecture on 'Canada-India Research Partnership-present and future'.
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CNBC
Published: Wednesday, 6 Feb 2013 | 11:07 PM ET
By: Neerja Pawha Jetley | CNBC Contributor
After Hermes saris, Louis Vuitton bags and Porsche cars, it is now demand for Washington apples, New Zealand kiwis, and China pears that is adding a new sheen to India's booming consumption story.
Imports of fruits and vegetables soared 70 percent to $1.6 billion during the last fiscal year ended in March 2012, according to the Ministry of Commerce. Fruit imports have been growing at 25 percent for the last few years, according to industry estimates and are expected to double to $464 million this year ending March 31, according to government data.
"India is fast becoming the fruit bowl of the world. If we stopped importing American apples, the producers there will face a serious setback," said Mumbai-based importer Ambrish Karvat.
In the last fiscal year India imported $197 million worth of apples and according to the U.S. Apple Association, India is now the third largest importer of American apples, after Mexico and Canada.
This surge in imports is despite the fact that India imposes a 50 percent duty on apples and 33 percent for most other fruits with a view to protect local producers. India is also the second-largest producer of fruits in the world, after China, being the largest producer of bananas and mangoes, according to the National Horticulture Board.
The growth in imported food consumption mirrors the overall prosperity of the Indian people as its economy has been growing at a healthy pace despite the recent slowdown, leading to an increase in discretionary spend, said country watchers. According to the Mckinsey Global Institute, India's aggregate consumer spending will quadruple to $1.4 trillion by 2025.
"With 70 percent of its over one billion population under the age of 35 there is a growing awareness about healthy eating and a perception of imported fruits being better in taste, quality and variety," said Keith Sunderlal, managing director of SCS group, a fresh produce advisory firm.
The year-round availability of imported fruits coupled with a growing retail infrastructure has helped sales not just in metros but in tier two and three cities of India as well.
"We import almost 25 varieties of fruits including rare varieties like blue berries, black berries, red currants and dragon fruits. Imported fruit accounts for nearly a third of our fruit sales," said Mohit Khattar, managing director of Godrej Nature's Basket, an importer of fine foods with 25 retail stores India-wide.
Foreign fruits, however don't come cheap and often command a premium of 50 percent over locally produced fruits. For example, kiwi fruit grown in the hill regions of India retail for $3 to $3.5 per kilo, while the New Zealand variety can fetch $4.5-$6 a kilo.
Yet consumers are not hesitating to buy 'imported' fruits in towns as distant as Kanyakumari at the southernmost tip of India and in small towns in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. "Business is brisk in the tier 2 and tier 3 towns, some recording 25-30 percent growth versus 15 percent in the metros," said Karvat. Since 1998 when his company Yuppa started importing fruits, the international division's turnover has grown from $4 million to $200 million.
"Imported fruits look better, taste better and are more juicy. I don't mind spending a little more if I can get better quality," Shoba Mathur, a Delhi-based housewife, told CNBC.
Positive Impact
The popularity of imported fruits has also led to an increase in the price of local produce. For example, before the market opened, the most premium Indian apples were available at less than $1 a kilo. Today they regularly sell at nearly $3 a kilo.
"No one had thought that the Indian consumer would be willing to pay more than the psychological barrier of rupees 100 or $2 a kg for local produce. The price gap between imported and domestic apples has narrowed," said Sunderlal.
Indian fruit growers are also meeting imported competition by cultivating new varieties of their own, For example, The National Research Centre for grapes in the western Indian city of Pune has developed the red globe grape after demand for the imported California variety picked up in the market. Also bright yellow canary melons from Thailand are now being cultivated in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.
While Indian growers are upping the ante on competition, marketers are cashing in on the diversity of India's consumers. "There are no rich or poor cities for imported fruit. Each city, each area, has its share of rich and poor. So there will always be Indian consumers who will be willing to pay a higher price for quality," said Sunderlal.
This is one story where all stakeholders are enjoying the fruits of globalization.
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The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/08/opinion/global/chinas-hydro-hegemony.html?ref=global&_r=1&
Op-Ed Contributor
China's Hydro-Hegemony
By BRAHMA CHELLANEY
Published: February 7, 2013
New Delhi
ASIA is the world's most water-stressed continent, a situation compounded by China's hydro-supremacy in the region. Beijing's recent decision to build a slew of giant new dams on rivers flowing to other countries is thus set to roil riparian relations.
China — which already boasts more large dams than the rest of the world put together and has unveiled a mammoth $635-billion fresh investment in water infrastructure over the next decade — has emerged as the key obstacle to building institutionalized collaboration on shared water resources in Asia.
In contrast to the bilateral water treaties between many of its neighbors, China rejects the concept of a water-sharing arrangement or joint, rules-based management of common resources.
For example, in rejecting the 1997 United Nations convention that lays down rules on shared water resources, Beijing asserted its claim that an upstream power has the right to assert absolute territorial sovereignty over the waters on its side of the international boundary — or the right to divert as much water as it wishes for its needs, irrespective of the effects on a downriver state.
Today, by building megadams and reservoirs in its borderlands, China is working to re-engineer the flows of major rivers that are the lifeline of lower riparian states.
China is the source of transboundary riverflows to the largest number of countries in the world — from Russia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan to the states in the Indochina peninsula and Southern Asia. This pre-eminence resulted from its absorption of the ethnic-minority homelands that now make up 60 percent of its landmass and are the origin of all the international rivers flowing out of Chinese-held territory. No other country in the world comes close to the hydro-hegemony that China has established.
Since the last decade, China's dam building has been moving from dam-saturated internal rivers to international rivers. Most of the new megaprojects designated recently by China's state council as priority ventures are concentrated in the country's seismically active southwest, which is largely populated by ethnic minorities. Such dam building is triggering new ethnic tensions over displacement and submergence.
The state council approved an array of new dams on the Salween, Brahmaputra and Mekong rivers, which originate on the Tibetan plateau and flow to South Asia and Southeast Asia. The unveiling of projects on the Brahmaputra evoked Indian diplomatic concern at a time when water has emerged as a new Chinese-Indian divide, while the Salween projects end the suspension of dam building on that river announced eight years ago.
The Salween — known in Chinese as Nu Jiang, or the "Angry River" — is Asia's last largely free-flowing river, running through deep, spectacular gorges and glaciated peaks on its way to Burma and Thailand. Its upstream basin is inhabited by at lease a dozen different ethnic groups and rated as one of the world's most biologically diverse regions, home to more than 5,000 plant species and nearly half of China's animal species. No sooner had this stunning region, known as the Three Parallel Rivers, been added to the World Heritage List by Unesco in 2003 than Beijing unveiled plans for a cascade of dams near the area.
The international furor that followed led Prime Minister Wen Jiabao to suspend work. The reversal of that suspension, significantly, comes before Wen and President Hu Jintao step down as part of the country's power transition.
The third international river cited by the state council in its new project approvals has already been a major target of Chinese dam building. Chinese engineers have constructed six megadams on the Mekong, including the 4,200-megawatt Xiaowan, and a greater water appropriator, the 5,850-megawatt Nuozhadu, whose first generator began producing electricity last September.
Asia needs institutionalized water cooperation because it awaits a future made hotter and drier by climate and environmental change and resource depletion. The continent's water challenges have been exacerbated by growing consumption, unsustainable irrigation practices, rapid industrialization, pollution and geopolitical shifts.
Asia has morphed into the most likely flash point for water wars. Several countries are currently engaged in dam building on transnational rivers. The majority of these dams are being financed and built by Chinese state entities. Most Chinese-aided dam projects in Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar are designed to pump electricity into China's southern electricity grid, with the lower riparians bearing the environmental and social costs.
But it is China's dam-building spree at home — reflected in the fact that it boasts half of the 50,000 large dams in the world — that carries the greatest international implications and obstructs the development of an Asian rules-based order.
China has made the control and manipulation of natural-river flows a fulcrum of its power and economic development. Although promoting multilateralism on the world stage, it has given the cold shoulder to multilateral cooperation among basin nations — as symbolized, for example, by the Mekong River Commission — and rebuffed efforts by states sharing its rivers to seek bilateral water-sharing arrangements.
Beijing already has significant financial, trade and political leverage over most of its neighbors. Now, by building an asymmetric control over cross-border flows, it is seeking to have its hand on Asia's water tap.
Given China's unique riparian position and role, it will not be possible to transform the Asian water competition into cooperation without Beijing playing a leadership role to develop a rules-based system.
Brahma Chellaney is the author of "Water: Asia's New Battleground" and of the forthcoming book "Water, Peace, and War: Confronting the Global Water Crisis."
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Huffington Post
February 11, 2013
Going off the beaten track can be intimidating and frustrating. But what if I told you there was a magical place in India with a one-of-a-kind attraction that not only houses you for free, but feeds you for free as well?
Welcome to The Golden Temple.
The Golden Temple, or Harmandir Sahib in Punjabi, is the holiest temple in the Sikh faith. The Sikhs number some 30 million and are the fifth largest organized religion in the world.
The faith was founded by Guru Nanak Dev and expanded upon by ten more gurus. Sikhs follow the five K's: kes (uncut hair), kangha (small wooden comb), ka?a (circular steel or iron bracelet), kirpan (sword/dagger), and kacchera (special undergarment).
The Golden Temple offers stunning views at sunrise, sunset, throughout the day, and at night. You really can't go wrong, but each view offers something special.
The easiest way to take in all four views, and the friendliest to a budget traveler's wallet, is to stay on site at the temple. Sikh hospitality is renowned throughout India and their temples reflect this.
The Golden Temple offers Indians very basic, barebones accommodation in the form of a large, shared open space to sleep on with a shared bathroom to use.
There is a special room for foreigners. Though it would be rated 0 stars, if you're on a budget it won't be terribly different from a hostel in India. There are several beds in the main room and five adjoining rooms where a group could set up camp. Lockers are also available to keep your belongings safe, but bring your own lock. There is a shower there with warm water. The public bathrooms are among the cleanest you'll find in India. A donation is appreciated at the end of your stay.
Sikh warriors patrol the temple. You'll notice them right away in their blue uniforms carrying various weapons. They are friendly and if you're lucky they'll even pose for a picture.
As you explore the temple, I beg of you, let this be the only time in India when you accept the unsolicited help of a guide. The Sikhs are aware that they have an image problem. Many young people eager to practice English and teach foreigners about their faith will greet you and offer to take you on a tour of the temple. You'll get great explanations and discover areas not in a guide book. You'll also meet a local person!
Another way to meet local people is to eat at the public kitchen on the temple grounds. The temple, as well as just about all Sikh temples, serves free, warm meals throughout the day. It is standard Punjabi cuisine - chapatis, dhal, and raitha, or Indian flat bread, lentils, and yogurt with fried chick peas. All food put on your plate must be eaten, so if you don't want something or don't want seconds, just put your hand over your plate when the server comes around.
After eating you take your dishes outside. All the cooking and cleaning is done by volunteers. Though cooking in the industrial kitchen would probably be too difficult, to help clean you need only walk over to a trough and roll up your sleeves. You won't appreciate the scale of this operation until you wash hundreds of dishes in what seems like minutes.
The Golden Temple is a strictly barefoot zone. You'll need to leave your shoes behind in the accommodation or check them with a volunteer at the shoe station. But I think this adds to the experience. Visiting a faith's most important site, being housed and fed by volunteering adherents, and meeting tons of nice people along the way, it's hard to think of a more grounding experience than that.
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