Sunday, 9 June 2013

Fundamentals About The Sikh Turban

By Mara Boone


Sikh turban is a kind of headwear that is mainly worn by people from the Sikh community, also called the Sikhs. These people are a religious group that practices Sikhism. The headwear is mostly used by men even though women and children wear them these days. They are known by different names depending on the place. Some major names they are known by include pagri, dastar, and bulle.

Turbans are used in many areas around the globe. Some of the areas where they are widely used include India, Arabian Peninsula, South Asia, Horn of Africa, Pakistan, North Africa, and Americas. They are worn in various styles for various purposes. Each gender and age group has its own specific type and style of bulle. This article outlines some key reasons and basics about bulles.

Sikhism as a denomination has some codes of conduct which each follower must observe. For example, men are expected to maintain their hair covered and intact at all times with some exemptions in some cases. All men have dress codes that command them to put on dastars. Ladies may wear bulles or certain traditional head-scarves. Some ladies cover scarves on turbans.

Sikhs who are accustomed to tying dastars feel naked without them. Usually, the turban should be untied when one is going to bed, washing their hair, or taking a shower. Infact, Sikhs are expected to get married partly for the reason of getting help from their partners when tying the bulles. It is the duty of the woman to make sure that the husbands have their dastars well tied. They must also wash and maintain them in good state as one of their responsibilities to their husbands.

The significance of covering hair is to keep it clean away from pollutants and untangled. Hair should be left in its natural unaltered state from birth onwards and parents are required to ensure this in their children. When a follower of Sikhism is initiated as khalsa, amrit nectar is sprayed directly on their hair. Initiates consider hair on which the amrit nectar has been sprinkled to be very holy and sacred.

General codes in Sikhism prohibit followers from dishonoring any piece of hair on their head. Baptized believers have compulsory responsibilities that have to be kept always. The codes also prohibit them from smoking cigarette and discourage them from associating with cigarette smokers. As a way of keeping those codes, the hair must never come in contact with cigarette smoke or tobacco.

The best method to keep the requirement is to wrap the head to stop hair from getting into contact with smoke when one is in public. Turbans also bear other meanings such as symbolizing holiness and spirituality, status, unique identity, and responsibility. The headwear is considered as a robe of honor signifying high morals and self respect among wearers. Close allies exchange dastars to signify everlasting friendships.

Sikh turban is a symbol of brother-hood among its wearers. Individuals who put them on identify easily with one another anywhere on earth. The dastars appear in various sizes and colors. Every color bears a specific meaning among Sikhs.




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