"The Sikh turban is a piece of cloth. But, consistent with its shape, it is a diamond,
a compression of years of suffering, of tumultuousness, of pressure and change,
and resistance to enforced conformity. We put it all into the turban: hacked limbs,
redcoats, river water, blood lust, eyes gouged, free kitchens, the Spring, and boundless
mercy. It is the manifested soul of a people. In it we openly smuggle the soul of our people through the fire of history, century after century. It wraps around despair, boa-like. It's beauty,
it's resistance, it's triumph and confidence. The swagger of a red turban is like walking a tightrope: things can go wrong, but not for the one to whom the turban belongs. You are never alone wearing a turban. When you look into the morning mirror, millions look back at you.
It is a crown bought and paid for. It is the outsider on the top of the mountain. It is a
reminder that death can come for one of us but never for all of us." Bhai Angad Singh
"Sikhs have always been highly identifiable and this is with good reason.
We stand out to be easily identified as spiritual warriors. We are the ones
to be relied upon to stand up and to defend the weak and innocent. Are we
living up to that legacy at this time or has our community become insular?
Practiced to the fullest in accordance with the teachings of Guru Nanak, Sikhism stands for pluralism and against tribalism." ACT For Diversity
"Given the positive and growing public awareness about Sikhs,
Sikh women manifestly express their parity with Sikh men when
they wear turban, thereby advocating gender equality. Without
the turban the perception persists that Kaurs are not true Sikhs. Singhs are perceived to be the genuine, even dominant gender.
Women wearing a turban makes gender equality more apparent. Sikh women make a powerful statement about gender equality
when they tie turban. It is a graceful and effective way of putting Sikhs
and other communities on notice. It says, "We are who we are in support
of everyone's human rights irrespective of gender." DualityOptics.com
"The Sikhs were directed by Guru Gobind Singh to wear a turban.
When a Sikh fails to wear a turban they negate their identity as a Sikh. Sikh women without turban project subordination to their male counterparts.
The turban is an article of faith that has been made mandatory by the founders
of Sikhism, having immense spiritual as well as temporal significance, increasing
the commitment to Sikhism, making a Sikh a more disciplined and virtuous person.
The turban symbolizes courage and self-respect, dedication, piety and sovereignty. It is
intertwined with their identity. Anyone who expects a Sikh to take off their turban doesn't
understand the Sikh's true psyche, or their attachment to their turban." DualityOptics.com
Read on.
Covering the skull stabilizes cerebral matter and
the twenty-six parts of your magnificent brain, which are interlocked with the
neurological system and the electromagnetic field. Covering one's
head creates a focus of the functional circuit of the hemispheres,
and tunes up the neurological system. The whole head is
covered, not just the Crown Chakra.
Any head covering that covers the entire head is acceptable; white
natural fabric, such as cotton, is ideal.
Actor and comedian Sanjeev Kohli goes on a personal journey to explore the importance of wearing the Sikh turban in Britain and investigate why it is becoming more popular.
Sanjeev, most famous for his role as Navid in the BBC comedy Still Game, comes from a proud Sikh heritage, but is the only male member of his family not to wear the turban and sees this journey as a reconnection with the Sikh community.
He starts off by looking into his own family history, how his turban-wearing brothers were bullied at school, and questions whether he was right to make the decision at the age of 14 not to wear one.
As a father of teenagers, Sanjeev tries find out whether attitudes towards the turban have changed over generations by meeting passionate young Sikhs in all walks of life.
Over the course of his journey he discovers that, while many first-generation Punjabi immigrants wanted to try to fit in, their children and grandchildren are trying to stand out, and there is a resurgence of British Sikhs - both men and women - wearing the turban and reclaiming their identity.
He also attempts to find out what lies behind this new-found enthusiasm to publicly embrace their religious identity. -- Source.
