Punjabi Cultural Association
(PCA) Non Profit Organization
R
Fresno CA
Turban (Dastaar)
The turban, also called dastaar, which is a more respectful word in punjabi for the turban, is a garment worn by both men and women to cover their heads. it is a headdress consisting of a long scarf-like single peice of cloth worn around the head. 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. Devout Sikhs also do not cut their beards, so many sikh men comb out their facial hair from their heads.
Although the keeping of unshorn hair was mandated by Guru Gobind Singh as one of the five K's or five articles of faith,it has long been closely associated with sikhism since the very begining of Sikhi in 1469. Sikhism is the only religion in the world in which wearing a turban is mandatory for all adult males. Vast majority of pepole who wear turbans in the western countries are sikhs.
Sikhs are famous for their many anddistinctive turnbans. Traditionally, the turbanrepresents respectibility, and has long been an item once reserved for nobility only. During the Mughal domination of India, only the Muslims were allowed to wear a turban. All non-muslims were strictly barred from wearing a turbans. Guru Gobind Singh, in defiance of this infringment by the mughals asked all of his sikhs to wear the turban. This was to be worn in
recognition of the high moral standards that he had charted for his Khalsa followers.
He wanted his khalsa to be differentand to be determined "to stand out from the
rest of the World" and to follow the unique path that had been set out by the sikh gurus.
Although the keeping of unshorn hair was mandated by Guru Gobind Singh as one of the five K's or five articles of faith,it has long been closely associated with sikhism since the very begining of Sikhi in 1469. Sikhism is the only religion in the world in which wearing a turban is mandatory for all adult males. Vast majority of pepole who wear turbans in the western countries are sikhs.
Sikhs are famous for their many anddistinctive turnbans. Traditionally, the turbanrepresents respectibility, and has long been an item once reserved for nobility only. During the Mughal domination of India, only the Muslims were allowed to wear a turban. All non-muslims were strictly barred from wearing a turbans. Guru Gobind Singh, in defiance of this infringment by the mughals asked all of his sikhs to wear the turban. This was to be worn in
recognition of the high moral standards that he had charted for his Khalsa followers.
He wanted his khalsa to be differentand to be determined "to stand out from the
rest of the World" and to follow the unique path that had been set out by the sikh gurus.