The Dastaar of Sikhs has been in the limelight recently. Sikhs have been identified with the Dastaar ever since Guru nanak Ji Sahib started Sikhism about 523 years ago in Punjab, India.
Then the Dastaar was a sign of respect, high status in society, almost a royal privilege. No commoner was allowed to have a head covering of nay kind - much less a dastaar. A Brahmin was the only one allowed to have a double piece of white cloth on his head. In fact the common people were required to remove nay head covering thye might have and hold it in their hands as they bowed respectfully to the passing high caste or royal persons. The Dastar was worn on ceremonial ocassions..weddings etc by the Groom and the Groom's father and important relatives and removed in times of sorrow. The Dastaar was also used to signify passing over of traditional rights of property, royal succession etc called Dastaar bandhee. Exchnageof dastaars was also a ceremonial way of expressing brotherhood/solidarity among strangers - pagg watt bhraa was a brotherly relationship created by two strangers exchanging dastaars. One such historical exchange was between the Victor Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab and the vanquished Dost Muhammed khan ruler of Afghanistan Someone removing his dastaar and placing at anothers feet was a sign of subservience. During the wars or even in a peace time losing ones dastaar was akin to losing ones head and honour. Knocking off anothers dastaar has been traditionally accepted as a challenge as was in the dropping of a handkerchief or slight slap in the duel tradtion in European Society. Such a challenge was never refused as to refuse a duel was a disgrace no warrior could bear. The one whose dastaar was knockled off was under obligation to give a suitabe reply to redeem hsi honour or die in the attempt or forever keep his silence as subservient. Yet all this was merely SOCIAL in nature until Guru nanak ji sahib decided to change it by engaging it with religious connotation.
Guru Nanak ji saw in this another opportunity to level the playing field...as another means at his disposal to bring about social equality. This was in a chain of the many changes Guru ji envisaged..women's equality and elevation, langgar concept to demolish high and low castes mixing, providing sarovars and wells from which all irrespective of caste or creed could drink and bathe Sikhs were encouraged to keep intact the head hair and cover them respectfully with a dastaar. There is ample evidence in Gurbani where the Dastaar and the Dumalla - tall plumed dastaar is mentioned as a Mark of devotion to Him. The Sikh/devotee ofthe Creator is in royal plumed turban and the Guru has given him his blessings to go fight the good fight. The Sixth Nanak Hargobind wore a Plumed Royal Dastaar and Kalghi as did the Tenth Nanak Guru Gobind Singh ji.
At the historic Vasakhi of 1699 at Keshgarh Fort ( Fort KESH - Long hair ) where the Panj, the Khandeh batte dee Pahul, the Kakaars, were revealed and made mandatory, the Dastaar became the defacto mark of the Khalsa Brotherhood becasue since the Kesh long hair on the head was made a mandatory kakaar, the dastaar had to be put in place to preserve the sanctity of the Kesh at all times. From 1699 the Dastaar has assumed the role of the CROWN of the Khalsa - something not just socially respectable but religiously indicator of Khalsa sovereignity and Identity among millions...Guru Gobind Singh envisaged a dastaar dharee Khalsa to be instantly recognised in a crowd of millions as outstanding as a flag pole..and it has been that way ever since 1699.
A Sikh has utmost respect for hsi dastaar and will not allow any one to even touch it. Hence the discomfort at airports where Security Procedures now seem necessary to pat down dastaars and even removal of some. Sikhs are a pragmatic people - in such cases where the Security and well being of fellow passengers is also a priority, most will not hesitate to satisfy the security necessities. The situation calls for all round understanding of the senstivity involved. To a Sikh being asked to remove his dastaar in public is equivalent to being asked to remove his most important piece of personal clothing - a Sikh feels naked in such a situation. If the Airport Authoroties are sensitised to such - they will never do such in public but conduct it in a private room where the dastaar can be re-tied in private and the dignity of the Sikh passenger can be retained without much effort. Its important to note that a Sikh's Dastaar is a sign of his status in the Gurus eyes and is not a hat/cap to be summarily removed and replaced at will- its NOT a Head Gear or head covering - its the CROWN of the GURU bestowed upon a Dastardharee Sikh. ALL a Sikh desires and asks for is the opportunity to keep his dignity intact with his dastaar intact on his head at all times.
Then the Dastaar was a sign of respect, high status in society, almost a royal privilege. No commoner was allowed to have a head covering of nay kind - much less a dastaar. A Brahmin was the only one allowed to have a double piece of white cloth on his head. In fact the common people were required to remove nay head covering thye might have and hold it in their hands as they bowed respectfully to the passing high caste or royal persons. The Dastar was worn on ceremonial ocassions..weddings etc by the Groom and the Groom's father and important relatives and removed in times of sorrow. The Dastaar was also used to signify passing over of traditional rights of property, royal succession etc called Dastaar bandhee. Exchnageof dastaars was also a ceremonial way of expressing brotherhood/solidarity among strangers - pagg watt bhraa was a brotherly relationship created by two strangers exchanging dastaars. One such historical exchange was between the Victor Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab and the vanquished Dost Muhammed khan ruler of Afghanistan Someone removing his dastaar and placing at anothers feet was a sign of subservience. During the wars or even in a peace time losing ones dastaar was akin to losing ones head and honour. Knocking off anothers dastaar has been traditionally accepted as a challenge as was in the dropping of a handkerchief or slight slap in the duel tradtion in European Society. Such a challenge was never refused as to refuse a duel was a disgrace no warrior could bear. The one whose dastaar was knockled off was under obligation to give a suitabe reply to redeem hsi honour or die in the attempt or forever keep his silence as subservient. Yet all this was merely SOCIAL in nature until Guru nanak ji sahib decided to change it by engaging it with religious connotation.
Guru Nanak ji saw in this another opportunity to level the playing field...as another means at his disposal to bring about social equality. This was in a chain of the many changes Guru ji envisaged..women's equality and elevation, langgar concept to demolish high and low castes mixing, providing sarovars and wells from which all irrespective of caste or creed could drink and bathe Sikhs were encouraged to keep intact the head hair and cover them respectfully with a dastaar. There is ample evidence in Gurbani where the Dastaar and the Dumalla - tall plumed dastaar is mentioned as a Mark of devotion to Him. The Sikh/devotee ofthe Creator is in royal plumed turban and the Guru has given him his blessings to go fight the good fight. The Sixth Nanak Hargobind wore a Plumed Royal Dastaar and Kalghi as did the Tenth Nanak Guru Gobind Singh ji.
At the historic Vasakhi of 1699 at Keshgarh Fort ( Fort KESH - Long hair ) where the Panj, the Khandeh batte dee Pahul, the Kakaars, were revealed and made mandatory, the Dastaar became the defacto mark of the Khalsa Brotherhood becasue since the Kesh long hair on the head was made a mandatory kakaar, the dastaar had to be put in place to preserve the sanctity of the Kesh at all times. From 1699 the Dastaar has assumed the role of the CROWN of the Khalsa - something not just socially respectable but religiously indicator of Khalsa sovereignity and Identity among millions...Guru Gobind Singh envisaged a dastaar dharee Khalsa to be instantly recognised in a crowd of millions as outstanding as a flag pole..and it has been that way ever since 1699.
A Sikh has utmost respect for hsi dastaar and will not allow any one to even touch it. Hence the discomfort at airports where Security Procedures now seem necessary to pat down dastaars and even removal of some. Sikhs are a pragmatic people - in such cases where the Security and well being of fellow passengers is also a priority, most will not hesitate to satisfy the security necessities. The situation calls for all round understanding of the senstivity involved. To a Sikh being asked to remove his dastaar in public is equivalent to being asked to remove his most important piece of personal clothing - a Sikh feels naked in such a situation. If the Airport Authoroties are sensitised to such - they will never do such in public but conduct it in a private room where the dastaar can be re-tied in private and the dignity of the Sikh passenger can be retained without much effort. Its important to note that a Sikh's Dastaar is a sign of his status in the Gurus eyes and is not a hat/cap to be summarily removed and replaced at will- its NOT a Head Gear or head covering - its the CROWN of the GURU bestowed upon a Dastardharee Sikh. ALL a Sikh desires and asks for is the opportunity to keep his dignity intact with his dastaar intact on his head at all times.
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