French woman amazed by Golden Temple: “How is this even possible?”

A French woman living in India has gone viral after sharing her profound experience at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Julia Chaigneau, who has been residing in Ahmedabad for nearly two years, expressed awe at the sheer scale, generosity, and spirit of service at the world’s largest community kitchen — the langar at Sri Harmandir Sahib. Reported by Nikhil Pandey from NDTV.

Chaigneau wrote on X (formerly Twitter), "I visited the Golden Temple in Amritsar today. The place is absolutely stunning but having a chance to see and eat at the biggest community kitchen of the world was insane."

She said it was difficult to grasp how everything inside the temple complex is offered free of cost, without any discrimination or conditions. "it's hard to wrap my head around the fact that everything is free for everyone. No religion, no status, no background needed. Just walk in.

Eat. Be welcomed. And most of it runs purely on volunteers. Standing in that atmosphere, watching millions be fed with zero expectation in return. It's honestly a very inspiring things to witness. How is this scale even possible?" she added.

‘Crazy Scale, Pure Service’

Since being posted, her message has gained nearly 80,000 views and hundreds of reactions, with many people echoing her admiration for the temple's langar system.

One user wrote, "And the food is so hygienic and delicious. Most restaurants don't even achieve this."
Another commented, "Crazy scale, pure service. Golden Temple is truly special. I watched the Nat Geo documentary on the world's largest community kitchen still blows my mind how they serve millions with pure seva."

Others highlighted the cultural and spiritual depth behind the tradition. A user remarked, "There are no free lunches. A western philosophy. But in India, people are kind, we are rich in agri produce and most importantly, our hearts!"

Another added, "Generosity, altruism and a belief that the one who is up above will give us that strength, resources and support to sustain this. And the volunteers do it with a big heart. We learn from a young age what 'seva' means."

Chaigneau’s reflections have struck a chord online, once again shining a light on the remarkable spirit of seva at the Golden Temple.