Some times I tie Turban because I want and some times I tie because it makes my grandfather happy when my dad show him my picture with Turban .  Last night I was exploring my old suite case for something else and I just found a old piece of cloth that my grandfather sent me 5-6 years ago. It was 5 meter red turban cloth. I tied my turban this morning, It was really good, really means truly it was looking good on me.  It had good color combination with my sky blue shirt. Anyhow till this evening I got almost 9-10 comments or I can say negative compliments. Some say, It look like Bhapa style, Some said it look like Majhbi, some said it doesn’t even look like turban. After getting so many negative compliments I was still feeling myself very handsome because I knew that meaning of turban for them was totally different from what I know.  What they knew about a Turban is, It is a Sikh headgear, It is not just a cloth but a crown. It is called Pagg, Pagri, Dastar among people.  It is gifted by 10th Master of Sikhism, Sahib Guru Gobind Singh ji. May be that was the reason my turban was not looking like what it should look like.

What I know, Turban have long history, farthest we can go is, its from at least the civilisation of Mesopotamia.  Sumerians were used wear Turban back in  roughly four thousand years ago. Many Islamic Prophets and leaders wore turbans with different styles. Hindu saints and leaders also wore Turbans and still many wear. Turban have very importance role in spirituality its separate matter that reasons and beliefs are different person to person and communities.  Mainly it was part of traditional clothing or costume and optional in spirituality until Sikhs adopted it as part of faith and religion. Word Dastaar was adopted from Persian. Later Sikhs developed another names for Turbans like Pagg from Paggar ( Marwari word for Turban)  and Pagri from Rangpuri.  Dastaar blessed by Sahib Guru Gobind Singh ji was totally different from what today’s vast majority of Sikhs are wearing. Dastaars were very similar in appearance to what Afghans and tie till today.  What we see and believe about turban in majority of Sikhs is not Dastaar blessed by Guru Sahib. It was designed and imposed by Britishers during British Raj in India for Sikh army personnel. They designed new turban style which was more firm and well layered in a symmetry. In modern era maximum Sikhs tie new styles of turban which is developed and very different from  ancient turban. Moreover Sikhs treat and developed it as per trend, comfort and choice same as other apparels . Another common style developed by sikh  youngsters is Wattan wali Pagg. Which was developed  from Rajasthani Paggar. However Sikhs are far aside from what Gurus blessed them with. Many Sikhs even don’t know if they tie a Turban as faith they must take off their turban same way how they tied it. Which mean unfold it layer by layer and do path ( religious chanting) while tying and untying it. If you just take away like a cap. Its no longer a religious dastaar, It might be regular headgear or Turban what many civilizations were used to wear.  Turban have a long history and a wide present.

Turban is only a simple piece of cloth worn as headgear. Its is a part of costume and article of tradition. What makes it a article of faith and religion is Principles, ideology and philosophy behind it. One cannot be a Sikh by wearing Turban and he or she cannot claim it as religious article. What I experienced till today is, including me people are very far from Guru Nanak’s ideology.  We must admit that we tie turban to look good and claim our self Sikh. We are less than a quarter Sikh not even half  Sikh.

Anyway to get a final feedback I asked my father to show my pictures to my Grandfather and ask how I look ? My father replied “he is saying you look like him and he is happy. This was more than enough for me to feel my appearance like my ancestors.