As is the crown to
a sovereign, so is a Turban to a Sikh.
In order to keep Kesh (unshaven hair) intact and tidy and to maintain
its sanctity, the turban is a necessity. Since the turban had
acquired a social and political status, the Guru wanted the Sikhs
to be equal with the highest prince of the land. The turban and
the horse, hitherto reserved for the nobility and the higher castes,
were given to the Sikhs and in this way the ages-old monopoly
of the ruling classes was smothered forever. For a Sikh, the turban
is a frontier between faith and unbelief. It is deemed to give
the Sikh dignity, consecration and majestic humility. Throughout
the East, it is commonly believed that a man is known not only
the company he keeps but also by his Dastar (Turban), Guftar (Speech),
and Raftar (Gait). The turban is therefore thought to be a symbol
of generosity, truthfullness, maturity, piety and fearlessness.
Since it is the head which discriminates between the right and
the wrong, the true and the false, the durable and the ephemeral,
and the real and the illustory; so it is entitled to more care
and protection than any other part of the body. Thus in the East;
the turban stands for the material symbol of a spiritual awakening,
equipoise and rational thinking. Consequently the turban has been
mentioned in many of the common sayings and proverbs in the East.
To mention only a few; pagg Lauhani (To knock the turban off)
is an act of great insult. pagg di Laaj Rakhna (To justify the
wearing of a turban is to act rightly, wisely and in a socially
acceptable way.) Pagg noon dagg Launa (To sullify the turban)
means to act unlawfully and in a socially unacceptable way.
The turban also has
another signficane for the Sikhs. The exchange of turbans between
persons means that they have become dedicated brothers to each
other and that they will stand by each other through thick and
thin. Maharaja Ranjit Singh (Emperor of the Punjab from 1799 to
1939) and Sardar Fateh Singh Ahluwalia (the ruler of Kapurthala
state from 1801 to 1837) had exchanged turbans and thus remained
friends throughout their lives. When the patriarch of a Sikh family
dies, the relatives and friends assemble and the ceremony of offering
a turban to the deceased's elder son takes place. This means that
from thenceforth he is to be responsible for conducting the family
business. So the turban signifies additional responsibility and
duty. The turban, when offered as a present in token of the selfless
service rendered, is regarded as a great honour for the recipient.
A Sikh gentleman is addressed as Sardar (chief) in India because
of his turban and uncut hair and beard. |
