Dastar

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A Sikh man wearing a turban
A Sikh man wearing a turban

The turban, known as Pagṛī (ਪਗੜੀ) or Dastār (ਦਸਤਾਰ) in Punjabi and Hindi, is closely associated with Sikhism, and is an important part of the Sikh culture. Wearing a turban is mandatory for all Amritdhari (baptized) Sikhs (also known as Khalsa).

Among the Sikhs, the turban is an article of faith that represents honor, self-respect, courage, spirituality, and piety. The Khalsa Sikhs, who adorn the Five Ks, wear the turban partly to cover their long, uncut hair (kesh). The turban is mostly identified with the Sikh males, although some Sikh women also wear turban.

The Khalsa Sikhs regard the turban as an important part of the unique Sikh identity. They are easily recognizable by their distinctive turbans. Some Sahajdhari Sikhs do not wear turbans. It is not uncommon to see Hindu males from Punjab wearing turbans signifying their close relationship with Sikhism.

Contents

[edit] History

A painting of Guru Nanak shows him wearing a turban
A painting of Guru Nanak shows him wearing a turban

The turban has been an important part of the Sikh culture since the time of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. When Guru Ram Das died, his elder son Pirthi Chand wore a special turban, which is usually worn by an elder son when his father passes away. At that time Guru Arjan Dev was honored with the turban of Guruship:

Marne di pag Pirthiye badhi. Guriyaee pag Arjan Ladhi[1]

Guru Angad Dev honored Guru Amar Das with a Siropa (turban) when he was made the Guru. Guru Gobind Singh, the last human Sikh Guru, wrote:

Kangha dono vakt kar, paag chune kar bandhai. ("Comb your hair twice a day and tie your turban carefully, turn by turn.")

Bhai Rattan Singh Bhangu, one of the earliest Sikh historians, wrote in Sri Gur Panth Parkash:[2]

Doi vele utth bandhyo dastare, pahar aatth rakhyo shastar sambhare
...
Kesan ki kijo pritpal, nah(i) ustran se katyo vaal
("Tie your turban twice a day and carefully wear weapons 24 hours a day.
...
Take good care of your hair. Do not cut your hair.")

[edit] Reasons for wearing the Turban

Nihang Abchal Nagar (Nihangs from Hazur Sahib), 1844. Shows turban-wearing Sikh soldiers with chakrams
Nihang Abchal Nagar (Nihangs from Hazur Sahib), 1844. Shows turban-wearing Sikh soldiers with chakrams

In the Khalsa society, the turban signifies many virtues:

Spirituality
The turban is a symbol of spirituality and holiness in Sikhism.
Honor and self-respect
The turban is also a symbol of honor and self-respect. In the Punjabi culture, those who have selflessly served the community are traditionally honoured with turbans.
Responsibility
Rasam Pagri ("turban ceremony") is a ceremony in North India. Rasam Pagri takes place, when a man passes away and his oldest son takes over the family responsibilities by tying the turban in front of a large gathering. It signifies that now he has shouldered the responsibility of his father and he is the head of the family.
Piety and moral values
The turban also signifies piety and purity of mind. In the Punjabi society, the Khalsa Sikhs are considered as protectors of the weak, even among the non-Sikhs. In the older times, the Khalsa warriors moved from village to village at night, during the battles. When they needed a place to hide from the enemy, the womenfolk, who had a very high degree of trust in them used to let them inside their houses. It was a common saying in Punjab: Aye nihang, booha khol de nishang ("The nihangs are at the door. Dear woman! go ahead open the door without any fear whatsoever.")
Courage
The Sikh warriors (Khalsa) wear turban, partly to cover their long hair, which are never cut, as per the wish of their last human Guru, Guru Gobind Singh. There are many references in the Sikh history that describe how Guru Gobind Singh personally tied beautiful dumalas (turbans) on the heads of both his elder sons Ajit Singh and Jujhar Singh, and how he personally gave them arms, decorated them like bridegrooms, and sent them to the battlefield at Chamkaur Sahib where they both received martyrdom. A saffron-colored is especially identified with courage, sacrifice and martyrdom.
Friendship and relationship
Pag Vatauni ("exchange of turban") is a Punjabi custom, in which the people exchange turbans with closest friends. Once they exchange turbans they become friends for life and forge a permanent relationship. They take a solemn pledge to share their joys and sorrows under all circumstances. Exchanging turban is a glue that can bind two individuals or families together for generations.

Some Sikhs also believe that wearing a turban enables one to command the Agya Chakra, the sixth yogic chakra. Harbhajan Singh Yogi wrote:[3]

“ Wearing a head covering enables you to command your sixth center, the Agia Chakra. Covering the head stabilizes the cerebral matter and the 26 parts of the brain, which are interlocked with the neurological system and electromagnetic field. Covering the head creates a focus of the functional circuit of the hemispheres of the brain, and tunes the neurological system. The whole head is to be covered, not just the crown chakra. The benefit of wearing a turban is that when you wrap the 5 to 7 layers of cloth, you cover the temples, which prevents any variance or movement in the different parts of the skull. A turban automatically gives you a cranial self-adjustment. ”

There are many Punjabi idioms and proverbs that describe how important is a turban in one's life. Bhai Gurdas writes:[4]

Tthande khuhu naike pag visar(i) aya sir(i) nangai
Ghar vich ranna(n) kamlia(n) dhussi liti dekh(i) kudhange
("A person, after taking a bath at the well during winter time, forgot his turban at the well and came home bareheaded.
When the women saw him at home without a turban, they thought someone had died and they started to cry.")

[edit] Sign of Sikhism

Sikh men are easily recognized with their distinctive turbans
Sikh men are easily recognized with their distinctive turbans

The turban is considered an important part of the unique Sikh identity. The bare head is not considered appropriate as per gurbani. If a Sikh wants to become one with his/her Guru, he/she must look like a Guru (wear a turban). Guru Gobind Singh staed:

Khalsa mero roop hai khaas. Khalse me hau karo niwas.
("Khalsa is a true picture of mine. I live in Khalsa.")

Maintaining long hair and tying turban is seen as a token of love and obedience of the wishes of the Sikh Gurus. A quote from Sikhnet:[5]:

“ The turban is our Guru's gift to us. It is how we crown ourselves as the Singhs and Kaurs who sit on the throne of commitment to our own higher consciousness. For men and women alike, this projective identity conveys royalty, grace, and uniqueness. It is a signal to others that we live in the image of Infinity and are dedicated to serving all. The turban doesn't represent anything except complete commitment. When you choose to stand out by tying your turban, you stand fearlessly as one single person standing out from six billion people. It is a most outstanding act. ”

[edit] Styles of turbans

A Nihang (armed Sikh) with Big Turban
A Nihang (armed Sikh) with Big Turban

[edit] Men's Double Patti (Nok)

This is a very common Sikh turban style. It is very common in Punjab, India. The Nok is a double wide turban. 6 meters of turban cloth are cut in half, then into two 3 metre pieces. They are then sewn together to make it Double wide, thus creating a "Double Patti," or a Nok turban. This turban is larger than most Sikh Dastars, but contains fewer wraps around the head.

[edit] Chand Tora Dhamala

This style of turban is generally worn by Nihang Sikhs . This is a warrior style turban meant for going into battle. The "Chand Tora" is the metal wire around the turban.

[edit] Amritsar Dhamala

This is the most common Dhamala turban. It consists of:

  • one 5 meter piece (Pavo Blue)
  • one 11 meter piece any color, commonly sabz (white) and pavo blue. Both pieces are 35 cm wide, and referred to in Amritsar as Dhamala Material.

[edit] Basic Dhamala

This is a very simple and basic Dhamala Sikh turban. This is the most popular turban among young sikhs of the Akhand Kirtani Jatha and also quite popular among those of Damdami Taksal in countries like America, England and Canada.

[edit] General Sikh Turban

An English cricketer wearing the Patka
An English cricketer wearing the Patka

This is another common Sikh turban style for men. Unlike the "double patti" turban, this turban is longer and goes 7 times around the head. If you use the "Notai" technique and have a big joora (hair knot), do not make it right in front at your forehead. You will end up tying the turban on the joora, and it will make your turban look very high and big.

[edit] Patka/Keski Turban

This is a common sikh turban among young boys. It is normally used as more of a casual Pugree, or sometimes for sports. Commonly, this is a peta (shade of yellow) coloured turban.

These are the basic Sikh Pugaree types. Turban theory states that the main pugaree types are starting points, and anyone can invent their own turban styles. But keep in mind the colour, and wrap type, and amount will differentiate the LOS between pugrees, so feel free to play with LOS levels, and increase or decrease your LOS simply by trying Kavi over Peta for example.

[edit] Harassment faced by turban-wearing Sikhs

Poster issued by US Department Of Justice to explain Sikh head coverings
Poster issued by US Department Of Justice to explain Sikh head coverings

After the September 11, 2001 attacks in USA, many turban-wearing Sikhs faced assaults by some Americans who confused them with the Arabs (who were being associated with terrorism).[6][7] The United States Department of Justice issued a poster aimed at getting the Americans acquainted with the Sikh turbans.[8]

[edit] Struggle for the right to wear the turban

In modern times, the Sikhs, espeicially those outside India, have struggled for retaining their right to wear a turban.

The Sikh soldiers refused to wear helmets during World War I and World War II. Many Sikhs have refused to remove the turban even in jails. Bhai Randhir Singh, a widely respected Sikh preacher, scholar and a freedom fighter had to undergo a fast to win his right to wear a turban in the prison.

In 1982, the headmaster of a private school refused to admit an orthodox Sikh as a pupil, unless he removed the turban and cut his hair. This led to the long legal battle, Mandla v. Dowell Lee.[9][10]

In 2002, Jasjit Singh Jaggi, a Sikh traffic policeman employed with the New York Police Department (NYPD), was forced to leave his job because he insisted on wearing a turban on duty. He petitioned with the New York Human Rights Commission in July 2002, and in 2004, a US judge ruled that he should be reinstated.[11]

In 2004, the Sikh community protested against the introduction of a French law prohibiting display of any religious symbols in state-run schools.[12][13] The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee urged the French Government to review the bill, stating that the ban would have grave consequences for the Sikhs.[14] The Government of India discussed the matter with the French officials, who stated that an exception for turbaned Sikh boys in French public schools was not possible.[15]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Partakh Hari," Jiwni Guru Arjan Dev Ji, by Principal Satbir Singh
  2. ^ Bhai Rattan Singh Bhangu. Sri Gur Granth Parkash. Page 78.
  3. ^ Takhar, Opinderjit Kaur (2005). Sikh Identity: An Exploration Of Groups Among Sikhs. Aldershot: Ashgate, 169. ISBN 978-0754652021. OCLC 60560379. 
  4. ^ Vara(n) Bhai Gurdas, Var 32, pauri 19
  5. ^ Learn How To Tie Different Sikh Turbans
  6. ^ "Sikh attacked in another hate crime in New York", CNN-IBN, 2008-01-27. Retrieved on 2008-01-27. 
  7. ^ Vanessa Garnica (2003-04-18). Sikhs: Turbans don't mean terrorism. The Oracle. Retrieved on 2008-01-25.
  8. ^ US initiative to explain turbans. The Tribune, Chandigarh (2004-12-16). Retrieved on 2008-01-25.
  9. ^ (March 1983) "Turban or not turban — that is the question (Mandla v. Dowell Lee)". Liverpool Law Review 5 (1): 75-90. Netherlands: Springer. doi:10.1007/BF01079986. ISSN 0144-932X. 
  10. ^ Moore, Joan Brooke (1985). The politics of litigating discrimination : a case study of Mandla v. Dowell Lee (Thesis). University of Oxford. OCLC 123433705. 
  11. ^ Sikh policeman wins turban case. BBC News (2004-04-30). Retrieved on 2008-01-25.
  12. ^ French turban ban gets Sikh group into action. The Times of India (2004-01-06). Retrieved on 2008-01-25.
  13. ^ Ranvir Nayar (2004-01-17). French Sikhs defend the turban. BBC News. Retrieved on 2008-01-25.
  14. ^ SGPC urges French govt to review turban ban. The Times of India (2004-03-24). Retrieved on 2008-01-25.
  15. ^ France can't make exceptions on turban ban: Envoy. CNN-IBN (2008-01-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-25.

[edit] External links

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