TurbanKing.com is an online web portal which is promoting Sikhism and
Turban from last 9 years. It is religious cum Punjabi's cultural website
having large fan following. As we all know the youth of Punjab is
cutting off from our culture and mainly from turban tying. They feel it
is time consuming process to tying a turban daily before going outside
anywhere. But they are forgetting "A SARDAAR" definition which we
inherited from our great religion and Dashmesh Father Shri Guru Gobind
Singh Ji. We dream to bring Sikhism into fashion manner in this era of
trend setting world to connect our youth with religion and culture. We
want to see our ethics alive not only for this generation but for
upcoming generations as well. For this task, we started TurbanKing.com.
We have been promoting Turban through our Facebook page from last 5
years and now we are going to bring this mission in e-commerce section.
This project is far more bigger than we did previously in this field.
Our mission is to create a fusion of culture and fashion so that
everyone can adopt it very easily and happily. It would be reflected in
our products how we are doing hard work on our designs and unique
concepts.
A Dastaar (Punjabi: ਦਸਤਾਰ, dastāar, from Persian: دستار) or Pagṛi (Punjabi: ਪਗੜੀ) or Pagg (Punjabi: ਪੱਗ),
is an item of headgear associated with Sikhism and is an important part
of the Sikh culture. Wearing a Sikh turban is mandatory for all
Amritdhari (initiated) Sikh men and women.
Among the Sikhs, the Dastaar is an article of faith that represents
honour, self-respect, courage, spirituality, and piety. The Khalsa Sikh
men and women, who keep the Five Ks, wear the turban partly to cover
their long, uncut hair (kesh). The Khalsa Sikhs regard the Dastaar as an important part of the unique Sikh identity.
The Turban has been an important part of the Sikh religion since the
time of the First Guru. Guru Angad Dev honoured Guru Amar Das with a
special Dastaar when he was declared the next Guru. At the time when
Guru Ram Das passed on, Guru Arjun Dev was honoured with the Dastaar of
Guruship.
- Marne di pag Pirthiye badhi. Guriyaee pag Arjan Ladhi
Guru Gobind Singh, the last human Sikh Guru, wrote:
- Kangha dono vaqt 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:
- Doi vele utth bandhyo dastare, pahar aatth rakhyo shastar sambhare
- Kesan ki kijo pritpal, nah(i) ustran se katyo vaal
- Tie your Dastaar twice a day and
wear shaster (weapons to protect dharma), and keep them with care, 24
hours a day. Take good care of your hair. Do not cut or damage your
hair.
In the Khalsa society, the turban signifies many virtues:
- Spirituality
- The Dastaar is a symbol of spirituality and holiness in Sikhism.
- Honour and self-respect
- The Dastaar is also a symbol of honour 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 Dastaar 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
- Sikhs wear a Dastaar, partly to cover their long hair, which is
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 (Dastaar) 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 died
as martyrs. A saffron-colored turban is especially identified with courage, sacrifice and martyrdom.
- Friendship and relationship
- Pag Vatauni ("exchange of turban") is a Punjabi custom, in
which the men exchange Dastaars with their 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.
- Sayings
There are many Punjabi idioms and proverbs that describe how important is a Dastaar in one's life. Bhai Gurdas writes:
- Tthande khuhu naike pag visar(i) aya sir(i) nangai
- Ghar vich ranna(n) kamlia(n) dhussi liti dekh(i) kudhange
- ("A man, after taking a bath at the well during winter time, forgot his Dastaar at the well and came home bareheaded.
- When the women saw him at home without a Dastaar, they thought someone had died and they started to cry.")
Sign of Sikhism
The Dastaar 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 Dastaar). Guru Gobind Singh stated:
- 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 Dastaar is seen as a token of love
and obedience of the wishes of Sikh gurus. A quote from Sikhnet:
| “ |
The
Dastaar 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 Dastaar, you stand fearlessly as one single
person standing out from six billion people. It is a most outstanding
act. | |
Styles of Turbans
- 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 Dastaar. 6 meters of the Dastaar cloth are cut
in half, then into two 3 meter pieces. They are then sewn together to
make it Double wide, thus creating a "Double Patti," or a Nok Dastarr.
This Dastaar is larger than most Sikh dastars, but contains fewer wraps
around the head.
- Chand Tora
- This style of turban is generally worn by Nihang
Sikh men . This is a warrior style Dastaar meant for going into battle.
The "Chand Tora" is a metal symbol consisting of a crescent and a
double edged sword, it is held in place at the front of the Dastaar by
woven chainmail cord tied in a pattern within the Dastaar to protect the
head from slashing weapons.
- Amritsar Dhamala
- This is the most common Dhamala Dastaar. 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.
- Basic Dhamala
- This is a very simple and basic Dhamala Sikh Dastaar. 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, the United Kingdom and Canada.
- General Sikh Dastaar
- Another common Sikh Dastaar style for men. Unlike the "double patti" Dastaar, the Dastaar 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 Dastaar on the joora, and it will make your
Dastaar look very high and big. According to modern Punjabi style the
last (larh) of Dastaar is given a "V" shape by using the Dastaar pin.
Sikhs also use a specially designed Dastaar Needle (Punjabi:Salai,ਸਲਾਈ
OR Baaj,ਬਾਜ) to tuck their hair inside from Dastaar and Patka and also
to maintain Dastaar cleanliness.
- Patka/Keski Dastaar
- This is a common sikh Dastaar among young boys. It is normally used
as more of a casual Pugree, or sometimes for sports. Commonly, this is a
peela (shade of yellow) coloured turban. Contrary to popular belief
Patkas are actually types of Dastaars.
- Patiala Shahi Turban
- Nowadays this type of dastar is widely famous in boys.This type of
dastar was first tied by Patiala King Bhupinder Singh.From his name the
name of this type is originated 'Patiala Shahi'
Morni Pagg/Pochvi Pagg
It is a very famous style of turban and is very pointed.
These are the basic Sikh Turban types. Turban theory states that the
main pagri types are starting points, and anyone can invent their own
Dastar styles.
In May 2009, The Times of India
reported that British researchers were trying to make a "bulletproof
turban" that would allow the Sikhs in the British police to serve in
firearms units.
Harassment faced by turban-wearing Sikhs
After the September 11, 2001 attacks in USA, a number of Turban-wearing
Sikhs faced assaults by some Americans who confused them with Muslims,
who were being associated with terrorism. The United States Department
of Justice worked with the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education
Fund (SALDEF) to issue a poster aimed at getting Americans acquainted
with Sikh turbans.
Turban Training Centre or
Turban Tying Centre (Punjabi:
ਦਸਤਾਰ ਸਿਖਲਾਈ ਕੇਂਦਰ) (Hindi:
दस्तार सिखलाई केंद्र) are training-cum-tying institutes opened by professionals, who train Sikhs, in tying
Dastar on their heads.
They also tie Dastar for those people who do not know how to tie
turban, charging fees. Their regular clients include industrialists,
businessmen, doctors, engineers, transporters and students.
Turban training centers have opened mostly in main cities of Punjab,
such as Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Bathinda, Patiala, Amritsar.
Baptized male Sikhs cover their hair with a turban, while baptized
female Sikhs may do so. However, the trend of wearing turban declined
due to fashion and youngsters preferring to keep cut hair and a clean
shaved face. Regional Punjabi film Stars and Punjabi music icons such as
Inderjit Nikku, Diljit Dosanjh, Lehmber Hussainpuri, Ravinder Grewal,
Ammy Virk, Ranjit Bawa who always wear Turban in their films and music
videos have inspired Sikh youths to wear turbans.
Several styles of Sikh turban are popular, including Patiala
Shahi", "Morni Dastaar", "Free Style Patiala Shahi Turban","Pochvi Dastaar", "Barnala Shahi", "Amritsar
shahi" "Vatta Vaali" and "Dumalla/Dhamalla" for baptised Sikhs. "Dabbi
Vaale Parne" a casual turban is mostly worn by farmers in villagers and
has been popularized by Diljit Dosanjh,Nikku and now popularized in
cities as well.Barring these, a simple turban with the shape and size of
individual liking is tied. The length of cloth of any of the above
styles varies according to personal suiting.
Some centres also provide training in Dumalla style,
which is basic attire for all baptized Sikhs and can also teach Parna a
casual turban to all category of Sikhs. Many Sabat Surat Turban
Trainers/Tyers have inspired Sabat Surat Sikh Youth and other clean
shaven males to wear Dastar to keep hair back and reject caps. Many
turban trainers offer training camps in Non-Punjab States like Delhi.
The Sikh turban, known as the Dastar or a Dumalla
or a "Pagg" cultural name, the turban is used to show others that they
represent the embodiment of Sikh teachings, the love of the Guru and
dogma to do good deeds, the turban also protects Sikh's long unshorn
hair and keep hair clean. The turban is mandatory for all members of
Khalsa (Initiated Sikhs) to wear. The Rajastani turban is also commonly
called the pagari (in the West, many Sikhs who wear pagri are sometimes mistaken for Muslims or Arabs.).
All Sikh Gurus since Guru Nanak have worn turbans. However, covering
one's hair with a turban was made an official policy by Guru Gobind
Singh,
the tenth Guru of the Sikhs. The main reasons to wear turban are to
take care of the hair, promote equality, and preserve the Sikh identity.
Sikh women may wear a turban if they wish.
Sikhs do not cut their hair, as a religious observance. The turban
protects the hair and keeps it clean. As Sikhs only form 2% of India's
population, their turbans help identify them. When he institutionalized
the turban as a part of the Sikh identity, Guru Gobind Singh said, "My
Sikh will be recognized among millions."
Turbans were formerly associated with the upper class, and many men
in the cultural elite still wear turbans. This distinction between the
turban-wearing upper class (Sardars)
and commoners promoted segregation and elitism. In order to eliminate
the class system associated with turbans, Guru Gobind Singh Ji declared
each and every Sikh a Sardar. He also rejected the caste system by
giving all Sikhs the last names Singh (Lion) or Kaur (Princess).
Modern Sikh men mainly wear four kinds of Turban. Morni Turban,
Patiala Shahi Turban, Vattan Wali Turban and Amritsar Shahi Turban. The
Dumalla style is more traditional and can be recognized by its
horizontal wraps, versus the peaked wraps as seen in the aforementioned
styles. The Dumalla is becoming more popular among Sikh youth (men and
women).
The Dastar Bunga is the style of turban generally worn by Akali
Singhs in battle. The "Chand Tora" is a metal symbol consisting of a
crescent and a double edged sword, held in place at the front of the
turban by a woven chainmail cord tied in a pattern within the turban to
protect the head from slashing weapons. The purpose of the Tora is to
keep the dastaar together. It goes over the bunga (inner turban) to
protect it. It is also used for keeping shastars (small weapons) in place.
The most common turban colors worn by Sikhs are blue, white, orange,
and black, although other colors are very popular as well. Orange and
yellow are particularly prestigious and tend to be worn on religious
events such as Vaisakhi. Akali Nihang Sikhs decorate their turbans or Dumalla
by wearing small weapons known as shastars in them. The turban's color
may reflect association with a particular group of Sikhs, although none
of the popular turban colors are exclusive to any particular group.
Meanings of the turbans are that the white turban means a saintly person
leading an exemplary life. The blue turban signifies a mind a broad as
the sky with no place for prejudice. The black turban is a reminder of
the British persecution of the Sikhs in 1919, and represents humility.
The orange turban is representative of courage and wisdom. Royal blue is
usually worn who are those who are learned the Sikh religion. Also as
well turban colors are generally a matter of personal choice in Sikhism,
with many Sikh men choosing colors based on fashion or taste choosing a
turban color to match clothes. There are traditions associated with
some colors, for instance orange and black are often worn at political
protest rallies whilst red and pink turbans are worn at weddings and
other celebratory events
