30 Meters of Turban
This man is a fully baptized Sikh whom I met at The Golden Temple. His turban is made of 30 meters of cloth and is decorated with the two primary symbols of Sikhism: the Khanda and the Ek-Onkar. Baptized (Khalsa) Sikhs like this man follow the famous five K’s: Kachera, Kara, Kirpan, Kanga and Kesh. From Wikipedia:
- Kesh – uncut hair. Sikhs believe that hair, like everything else, is a gift from God, therefore it remains uncut.
- Kanga – a wooden comb. Used for combing the hair and keeping it tidy and in place under the turban.
- Kara – an iron bracelet. Serves as a reminder for Sikhs to follow the morals of their faith.
- Kachera – a specific style of cotton underwear. Reminds Sikhs of the Guru’s message regarding the control of the Five Evils.
- Kirpan – a strapped curved sword. Symbolises the safety of all and the carrier’s personal duty and responsibility as a Sikh to protect the innocent in the message of peace.
He’s also carrying a string of wooden prayer beads, which is common to every religion I’ve seen here in India.
This entry was posted on Thursday, November 11th, 2010 at 2:04 am. It is filed under Clothing, Portraits, Sikhism, The Golden Temple and tagged with Clothing, India!, Portrait, Sikhism, The Golden Temple, Traditional Dress.
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