Dastaar ਦਸਤਾਰ - The Sikh Turban
The 10th Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh, decreed that he would make a race of saintly warriors who would not be able to hide in public. They would figure prominently in a group as their purpose would be to stand up for truth, justice and aid the weak and defenceless. Guru Gobind Singh achieved his vision by giving his Sikhs a unique physical identity. An important part of this physical identity was that all practising Sikhs were to wear a Dastaar (turban) on top of their unshorn hair. Some Sikhs also refer to their Dastaar as a Pagri, Puggaree or Pagh (slang).
The Dastaar is not to be regarded as a mere cultural paraphernalia. It is a mandatory article of the Sikh faith. The Dastaar is, and has been, an inseparable part of a Sikh’s attire; and in addition to the 5 Ks, the Dastaar is an integral part of the Sikh identity. Unlike some communities where a turban is only adorned on certain religious or cultural occasions, Sikhs wear a Dastaar as part of their daily public dress.
The Dastaar has an immense spiritual and temporal significance. When a Sikh man or woman wears the Dastaar, it ceases to be just a piece of cloth, and becomes one and the same with the person. The Dastaar covers, protects, crowns the head, and safeguards the uncut hair of a Sikh. To a Sikh it symbolises sovereignty, dedication, self-respect, courage and piety.
For most Sikhs it is also considered disrespectful to place a hat or helmet over the Dastaar, and at times practically impossible due to the Dastaar’s physical nature.
Dastaar components
A Sikh Dastaar usually consists of several elements: a base layer made up of a small piece of cloth worn underneath and called a ‘keski’ and second outer layer with a longer and narrow fabric.
A Sikh usually ties his Dastaar as described below (i.e one base layer and one outer layer). Some Sikhs may omit the base layer and just tie an outer layer directly.
Each Dastaar wearing Sikh ties a different Dastaar on his or her head. This is because even if the Sikh has learnt the same style as someone else, their Dastaar may be similar but never the same due to:
each person’s head shape and size being different
the ability to mimic a turban style depends on the abilities of the turban tier which can vary.
Detailed descriptions & illustrations of each element of some common Dastaar styles are given below:
1. Base Layer
Keski (extension of the Kes - unshorn hair)
The Keski is a base layer Dastaar that is usually worn underneath a larger Dastaar or by itself as a casual Dastaar.
The length of a Keski is usually 1 to 4 meters long and can be tied using material that is half the width of the normal Dastaar.
For example:
Image credit: Onkar Singh
Patka
The Patka is also a base layer Dastaar that is mainly worn by young Sikh boys as an alternative to the Keski.
The Patka is also tied by sportsplayers to manage their long hair while being active. e.g. cricketers and hockey players.
The Patka is usually a square piece of cloth, however a popular variation of the Patka is a square piece of cloth with cloth strings attached at the ends as shown below (bottom right).
For example:
Image credit: Harjas Singh
Image credit: Sahib Singh
Fifty / No base layer
A Fifty is a small and very narrow strip of coloured cloth tied around the forehead and is optional and purely stylistic.
It is an alternative way of presenting the triangle formed on the forehead by the outer layer Dastaar and is used without a Keski or Patka.
For example:
‘Double’ Puggaree with a black Fifty
Image credit: Navdeep Singh Bains
‘Double’ Puggaree without Fifty
Image credit: Professor Zora Singh
Fun fact: It is said that the term ‘Fifty’ originates from Sikhs serving in World War 1. For their turbans, Sikh soliders were issued with a standard length of material (e.g. 10m) with ‘Fifty percent’ of the standard length (e.g. 5m) as additional material for their Keski. This ‘fifty percent’ showed underneath the larger outer layer as a triangle on the forehead and was referred to as the ‘Fifty’ (short for 50%). The name has stuck since then.
‘Double’ Puggaree
The ‘Double’ Puggaree is one style of the outer layer Dastaar and is worn by many Sikh men.
It is called “Double” because it is a “Single” Pugri cut in half and then sewn together as shown below.
2. Outer layer
Image credit: Corporal Manpreet Singh
‘Single’ Puggaree
The ‘Single’ Puggaree is an outer layer Dastaar chosen by many Sikhs.
It is the simplest form of Dastaar to because it consists of no more than a single piece of cloth. Its length may vary from the standard 5 metres to 6 or more metres.
Image credit: Pardeep Singh Bahra
Image credit: L-Fresh
Dumalla
The Dumalla is an outer layer Dastaar that chosen and worn by some Sikhs.
It can consist of several layers depending on the individual’s choice.
The Dumalla requires the longest length of fabric and its many layers provide a protective function similar to a helmet.
The Dumalla is a very secure Dastaar, and is extremely hard to pull off. It was and continues to be tied by Nihungs (the martial order Sikhs).
For example:
Image credit: https://www.sikhreligion.net/sikh-turban/
Image credit: Amar Singh
Frequently asked questions:
Does the colour of the turban material matter?
No - Sikhs do not beleive in colours having any spiritual relevance. However, there are some colours associated with Sikh history so you may see certain traditional clothing and turbans being Orange / Yellow or Blue (Navy / Royal).
Do Sikh women also wear Dastaar (Turban)?
The Dastaar (Turban) is a mandatory head covering for Sikh men. Sikh women have the choice to wear a Dastaar.
Can Sikhs put a turban on and off like a hat?
No, the Dastaar is a long piece of folded/rolled cloth that wrapped carefully around the head. Due to its definitive importance and significant religious ideals, the Dastaar is tied layer by layer. Some turbans from different cultures around the world wear their turbans like hats. Sikh turbans are not worn like hats.
Can Sikhs take their turbans off in public?
The Dastaar is a respectful part of the Sikh identity and to ask for it to be removed can be perceived as being disrespectful and demeaning. For a Sikh, to have the Dastaar removed is akin to being undressed.
Is there a standard Sikh turban?
No the Sikh Dastaar has no standard size (length or width), colour or shape. Every Sikh ties his Dastaar in his/her own individual manner.
Some groups of turbans have emerged due to popularity as more common styles than others.
Is the Sikh turban material special? Can you buy it in Australia?
The material used for Sikh turbans is usually a grade of cotton sourced from Punjab, India that can not be obtained from general cloth retail stores in Australia.
You can buy Sikh turban material in Australia through various online and physical stores. See for example www.theturbanshop.com and www.turbanking.com.au (not sponsored or affiliated links)
How often are turbans replaced?
Turbans are like any other material. After regular wear you usually end up with the turban losing colour from washing or faded from being in the sun and / or the material starts to wear out and you get holes.