Turban
The turban or "pagri" often shortened to "pag" or "dastar" are different words in various dialects for the same article. It is a headdress consisting of a long scarf-like single piece of cloth wound round the head or sometimes an inner patka. Traditionally in India, the turban was only worn by men of high status in society; men of low status or of lower castes were not allowed or could not
afford to wear a turban. 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 beginning of Sikhi in 1469 by Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Sikhism is the only religion in the world in which wearing a turban is mandatory for all adult males. Vast majority of people who wear turbans in the Western countries are Sikhs. The Sikh pagdi (ਪਗੜੀ)is also called dastaar (ਦਸਤਾਰ), which is a more respectful word in Punjabi for the turban. Sikhs are famous for their many and distinctive turbans. Traditionally, the turban represents respectability, 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 pagri. Guru Gobind Singh, in defiance of this infringement 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 different and 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. Thus, a turbaned Sikh has always stood out from the crowd, as the Guru intended; for he wanted his 'Saint-Soldiers' to not only be easily recognizable, but easily found as well. More appropriately known in the Panjab as a dastaar, the Sikh turban is an article of faith which was made mandatory by the founder of the Khalsa. Though not required to wear a turban many Sikh Kaurs (women) also choose to wear a turban. For the Khalsa, the turban is not to be regarded as merely an item of cultural paraphernalia.
