Kachhehra ਕਛੈਰਾ

What is the Kachhera?

The Kachhehra (Kach for short) is a prescribed undershort akin to military breeches worn by allied soldiers in WW1.  

What does the Kachhera represent?

The Kachhera are a reminder to Practising and Amritdhari (initiated) Sikhs to uphold the highest moral values especially with respect to other human beings (e.g. men to treat women with respect and equality and visa versa). The Kachhera are also a reminder of the uniform of Sikhs in the Khalsa army.

Who wears a Kachhera?

Kachheras are usually not worn by Sikhs until they partake in Amrit Sanchaar to become Amritdhari (initiated) Sikhs. Some Practising Sikhs may choose to wear a Kachhera.

Sikhs and their practices

Sikhs can be broadly broken up in to the following groups:

All Sikhs generally wear a Kara.

Practising Sikhs may carry/wear some of the 5 Ks (e.g. Kara and Kes but not the Kirpan)

Only Amritdhari (initiated) Sikhs carry/wear all of the 5 Ks including the Kirpan

While not all Sikhs are initiated, the 5 Ks are deeply respected by all Sikhs whether Amritdhari (initiated) or practicing.

Note:

  • The categories of Sikhs outlined in the diagram do not bear any resemblance of a Sikh’s spiritual journey.

  • These categories are only being used for the purposes of providing an explanation of Sikh practices to a non-Sikh audience. Sikhs tend not to utilise these categories on the basis that they infer discrimination, which Sikhs oppose strongly in any shape or form.

The 5 Ks

Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Guru of the Sikhs gave his Sikhs a unique physical identity. An important part of this physical identity was that all Amritdhari (initiated) Sikhs were to maintain the Panj Kakaar or the ‘5 Ks’ on their body at all times.

All Amritdhari Sikhs are mandated to wear the five articles of faith which are:

  1. Kes (unshorn hair on whole body with the long hair on the head usually covered by a turban or headscarf)

  2. Kangha (wooden comb)

  3. Kara (iron/steel band worn around predominant wrist)

  4. Kachhehra (prescribed undershorts)

  5. Kirpan (small sheathed curved blade shaped object with handle)

For Sikhs these religious articles have deep spiritual and practical significance. The 5 Ks are not symbols. They are mandatory articles of faith to be worn at all times.

5 K’s graphic depiction above taken from publication ‘Sikhi - Faith and Followers’ by the Sikh Research Institute