Thai Sikh Organization :: Understanding the Sikh Turban. ::

INTRODUCTION

The Sikh turban, in Punjabi, is known as "Dastaar". It is an article of faith that as been made mandatory by the founders of Sikhism. Sikhs wear turbans as symbols and reminders of their core values; Discipline, Honesty, Integrity, Ethics, Spirituality and Humility. Apart from just being an important symbol, the turban is now part of the dress code of a Sikh.

When a Sikh man wears a turban, it ceases to be just a piece of cloth and becomes one and the same with the Sikh's head.

Learning and mastering to tie the Turban

The turban has been an integral part of the Sikh tradition since the time of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Historical accounts relay to us that all Sikh Gurus wore turbans and their followers, the Sikhs, have been wearing them since the formation of the faith.

The turban serves as a mark of commitment to the Sikh Gurus. It distinguishes a Sikh as an instrument of the Guru and decrees accountability for certain spiritual and temporal duties. It is a mark of the Guru and declares that the Sikh wearing a turban is a servant of the Divine Presence.

In olden days, the turban also played an important role in the daily life of a Sikh. For example, if the head of family died, the eldest son would then be honored by tying a turban on his head, in front of the Sikh community, to show that he is how the head and responsible of taking care of the family.

The turban also had a significant role during marriages. The bride's and groom's father would exchange their turbans, to show that both the families are now one and equal in every way in society. For a Sikh, the turban is part of his dignity and respect. Unwillingly removal of the turban from the Sikh's head is tantamount to disrespecting the person and looking down on him.

Sikhs around the world have fought many times for their rights, allowing them to wear a Turban. The first fight for allowing the Sikhs to wear the turban was in England, which is better known under the name of Mandla Case. In Norway, Sikhs had to fight for allowing them to take a photograph for their passports, or perform public/government services or even drive a taxi while wearing their turbans.

Even in Sweden, the Sikhs at first weren't allowed to work in trains or other govt. offices while wearing their turbans. They ultimately fought for their rights and now are allowed to wear it for any kind of work. In Canada, the Sikhs are now allowed to wear their turbans while servicing the army or the police. However, there are still many areas where Sikhs have yet to attain the rights of wearing their turbans.

In Thailand, as well, Sikhs are allowed to wear their turbans while servicing the army. A Sikh can drive a motorbike while wearing his turban and need not substitute it with a helmet. A turban for a Sikh is not merely a piece of cloth that covers the head, but it is an important symbol of the religion, which forms the integral part of the Sikh way of life and has a spiritual meaning to each one.

A turban is a piece of cloth, made of cotton, silk or synthetics and sometimes reaching up to 4.5 meters in length and 1.25 meters in width. Contrary to what many people think, the Turban is light (few ounces only) and soft on the head, but its cushion like appearance may give the wrong impression of its being bulky or heavy. Many a times, a small piece of cloth is first worn on the head, and then the turban is tied above it. Moreover, there is no restriction as to the color or the design pattern on a Sikh's turban. Learning and mastering to tie the Turban is a gentle and natural process from children to adults. It is wound around the head several times and held on by its own tension. Both ends of the turban must be tucked in properly- i.e. the beginning or finishing ends of the turban should not be flowing loosely as can be seen with many non-Sikh Indian turbans.

BELOW IS AN IMAGE OF A SIKH WEARING A TURBAN.

Sikh men commonly wear a peaked turban that serves partly to cover their long hair, which is never cut out of respect for God's creation. The turban is a marker of the Sikh identity and a symbol of a religious belief system. Wearing the turban gives much inner strength as well. Sikhs take this gift of the Guru with them everywhere they go. Just by being exposed to this regal quality, their attitudes and psyche get shaped in a certain way.

At the same time, there is a great deal of responsibility accompanied by the turban. A person's actions are no longer just tied to him or her. Since Sikhs who wear the turban represent the Guru, their actions too reflect on the Guru and the Sikh Nation. In this sense, the turban serves to increase a Sikh's commitment to Sikhism and lends to him or her becoming a more disciplined and virtuous person.

THE FOLLOWING ARE EXAMPLES OF NON-SIKH TURBANS.

Muslim religious elders, like this man from Yemen, often wear a turban wrapped around a cap known in Arabic as a kalansuwa. These caps can be spherical or conical, colorful or solid white, and their styles vary widely from region to region.

Likewise, the color of the turban wrapped around the kalansuwa varies. White is thought by some Muslims to be the holiest turban color, based on legends that the prophet Mohammed wore a white turban. Green, held to be the color of paradise, is also favored by some.

Not all Muslims wear turbans. In fact, few wear them in the West, and in major cosmopolitan centers around the Muslim world, turbans are seen by some as passe.

Afghan men wear a variety of turbans, and even within the Taliban, the strict Islamic government that controls much of the country, there are differences in the way men cover their heads.

This Taliban member, for example, is wearing a very long turban - perhaps two twined together - with one end hanging loose over his shoulder. The Taliban ambassador to Afghanistan, on the other hand, favors a solid black turban tied above his forehead.

And some men in Afghanistan do not wear turbans at all, but rather a distinctive Afghan hat.

Iranian leaders wear black or white turbans wrapped in the flat, circular style shown in this image of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The word turban is thought to have originated among Persians living in the area now known as Iran, who called the headgear a dulband.

Indian men sometimes wear turbans to signify their class, caste, profession or religious affiliation - and, as this man shows, turbans in India can be very elaborate.

However, turbans made out of fancy woven cloths and festooned with jewels are not unique to India.

As far away as Turkey, men have used the headgear to demonstrate their wealth and power

The kaffiyeh is not technically a turban. It is really a rectangular piece of cloth, folded diagonally and then draped over the head - not wound like a turban. Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian leader, has made the kaffiyeh famous in recent times. However, the kaffiyeh is not solely Palestinian. Men in Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the Arab Persian Gulf states wear kaffiyehs in colors and styles that are particular to their region.

Jordanians, for example, wear a red and white kaffiyeh, while Palestinians wear a black and white one. And a man from Saudi Arabia would likely drape his kaffiyeh differently than a man from Jordan. The black cord that holds the kaffiyeh on one's head is called an ekal.

Desert peoples have long used the turban to keep sand out of their faces, as this man from Africa is likely doing.

Members of nomadic tribes have also used turbans to disguise themselves. And sometimes, the color of a person's turban can be used to identify his tribal affiliation from a distance across the dunes.

This man's turban is a very light blue. In some parts of North Africa, blue is thought to be a good color to wear in the desert because of its association with cool water.