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Sikhism - An Introduction: The turban

by Owen Cole

The turban is probably the article of dress most associated with Sikhs yet it is not unique to them and was not required to be worn by them until Guru Gobind Singh formed the community of the Khalsa in 1699. However, its importance can be measured by the fact that portraits of all the earlier nine Gurus show them wearing it and thus, implicitly, endorsing it. All keshdhari adult males must wear it and boys should adopt its use when they are capable of tying it themselves. It is customary for this occasion to be observed by a family ceremony as is commonplace when a new head of the family is acknowledged. Women in some groups also wear it. Colour need not be important. At home, tied turbans, some five metres long, may be observed on a shelf ready for use to match a suit, fulfil a company’s uniform regulations or demonstrate support for a particular political party. Shape may also vary, for example, a Namdhari Sikh will wear his white turban flat across the forehead.

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