Turbanology Vaisakhi 2012 - Large Print Version

8/2/2019 Turbanology Vaisakhi 2012 - Large Print Version

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TURBANOLOGY LARGE PRINT LABELS

Introductory Panel (not in London)

Imagine living in a world where,

whenever they wanted, every man and

woman could wear a crown. What would

your crown be like?

There is a real community that wears a

crown or Dastaar in not just our society

but every climate and country in the

world the Sikhs.

For thirty million Sikhs, fashion has

followed faith down through the

centuries and now many styles of

turbans can be seen.

The Turbanology exhibition artfully

catalogues the different types of Dastaar

that Sikhs wear. We also explore why the

right to wear a turban is central to the


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Sikh faith. Today there are many growing

misunderstandings and

misrepresentations of this aspect of Sikh

identity.

Turbanology dispels the myths and

unravels the real culture and heritage

making up the Sikh Dastaar.

We want you to be a part of the show

send in your pictures, have your say and

suggest more turban styles and stories

for us to feature viawww.turbanology.info

Director Jay Singh-Sohal

Curator @SumOfAllForms

The Turbanology name brand and

concept are solely the intellectual

property of Jagjeet Singh Sohal.

MATERIAL WITNESSES (hangings)


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1. The Head and the Heart

The long piece of cloth that makes up a

Sikhs turban has a sacred purpose,

since to preserve and keep hair clean

and uncut is a religious duty. But

turban is only the English name for

any kind of Eastern headdress. Its aword thats interwoven with three

hundred years of European myths and

stories: its not the word that Sikhs use

themselves.

For a Sikh, a turban is never a hat but

always a crown or Dastaar. A

European crown is traditionally made of

valuable metal and precious stones, to

be carefully preserved, inherited;coveted. A linen dastaar is simple, clean

and practical. It requires pride and a

sense of purpose to tie and must be

freshly folded each day. This is why a


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Sikhs turban always represents spiritual

wisdom as much as worldly power.

Following Sikh principles of equality,

women may also wear the dastaar. Every

Sikh will tie one individually, with many

practical variations for worship, work

and sport. With the dastaar around thehead, a Sikh cannot hide his faith or his

identity as a Saint-Soldier. The turban is

a visible and constant reminder to be

truthful, honourable, courageous and

help those in need.

2. Twists and Turns

Turbans are worn in many world cultures

as practical or symbolic headdresses.But for the Sikhs, the turban is an article

of faith central to their spiritual ethos

and code of conduct. Their reasons are

rooted in the 300 year history of the

founders of Sikhism the Gurus.


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The first Guru Nanak Dev traveled

across India and the Middle East in the

15th century, debating with many Hindu

sadhus and Muslim fakirs. For these

diverse communities, the turban was a

shared symbol of saintly wisdom

connecting man to God.

The Gurus saw the turban as much

more, the sixth Guru, Hargobind,

adapted the turban to the martial

tradition of the Warrior-Saints by making

it larger, stronger and suited for thebattlefield.

In 1699, the tenth Guru, Gobind Singh,

created the Khalsa an order of initiated

Sikh men and women at Anandpur inthe Punjab. The turban was from then on

to be worn as a constant reminder of the

sovereign and independent nature of the

Sikhs, and that each Sikh is a distinct

and constant representative of the Guru.


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Every Sikh will aspire to wear a turban

whether devout or practicing.

3. Rise of the Sardars

The early Sikh nation found itself under

attack from all sides. The enlightened

era of the Sikh Gurus gave way to one of

bloodshed. Now, Sikhs were hunted

down for bounty by Mughal emperors

and invading Afghans alike. The Turban

was a true mark of the Gurus disciples.

Many Sikhs lost their heads whileproudly keeping their crowns. The Sikhs

new leaders the Sardars had to be

daring and astute in both strategy and

politics as their nation strove for

continued existence.

The Sardars built a nation in accordance

with the principles of their independent,revolutionary faith, with self-discipline


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and comradeship. Banda Singh Bahadur

was tasked by the Guru to seek justice

from the Mughals. He built the first Sikh

Kingdom and struck coin in the name of

the Guru before his capture and

martyrdom in 1716. To defy the enemy,

Sikh militias unified into one body the

Dal Khalsa under Nawab Kapoor Singh.When Afghan raiders invaded India, the

Sikhs organised again into defensive

fighting clans Misls to better protect

people of all faiths.

Jassa Singh Ahluwalia led one Misl,

becoming Sultan-ul-Quam (King of the

Community) in 1748. As supreme leaderof the Sikh Confederacy he wore a Kalgi

(plume) on his Turban, a sign of royalty

and honour. But not only for rulers

every Sikh that wears a Dastaar has a

real regal heritage, and adorning it with


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precious jewels and expensive fabric

embodies pride as a representative of

the True King and Father of the Khalsa

Guru Gobind Singh.

4. Crown of Kings

The Sardars continued to fight for thesurvival of the Sikh nation, but they

couldnt stop the Punjab from sliding

into lawlessness. Invaders and bandits

kept villages cut off and isolated;

poverty was rife and few towns

prospered. The Sikhs had grown too

used to fighting guerilla wars and the

misls argued amongst themselves for

superiority and position. The time hadcome for a leader to re-unite them.

The head of the Sukerchakia misl Maha

Singh had the enough ambition and

vision. But when he died in battle at 26, itwas left to his ten year-old son to


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complete his mission. His name was

Ranjit (Victory) and he was to grow into

a masterful soldier and strategist.

Powerful Sikh families he united through

marriage, the weaker ones he

overpowered. And by an exchange of

Turbans he made brothers out of his

rivals.

In 1801, Ranjit became the leading

Sardar when he was invited to take

Lahore. He called himself Singh Sahib

but never crowned himself Maharaja his Turban was his crown. Ranjit laid the

foundations of sustained peace and

prosperity for the Punjab, and over the

next four decades he consolidated and

expanded his Kingdom. But soon the

Punjabs wealth and natural resources

would attract the attention of a new

powerful suitor the British Empire.

5. Divine Law, Human Law


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When tales of wartime bravery were told,

the Sikhs became known all over the

world as warriors. But as manual

labourers? As shopkeepers? As bus

conductors? Sikh settlers in Britain were

rarely shown the respect they had

enjoyed as students or soldiers.

Discrimination against the Sikh religiousidentity became a feature of 1960s

Britain.

State-run public transport depots

banned conductors, guards and driversfrom wearing beards and turbans. These

bans were fought and overturned by the

trade unions, workers associations and

by fair-minded individuals who

remembered the Sikhs wartime

sacrifices. 1969 was the year

Wolverhampton and Nottingham

scrapped their turban bans, and Daya

Singh Nibber became Birminghams first

turbaned railway guard. Seven years


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later, turban-wearing Sikhs were gained

exception from compulsion to wear

safety helmets on motorbikes and

building sites.

But without full legal protection, wearing

a turban could still count against any

Sikh applying for a job or school. In 1983Sewa Singh Mandla fought a ban on

turbans at his sons Birmingham school.

The Sikh community organised protest

marches and petitioned politicians

across the country. After losing theircase at Birminghams law courts, the

House of Lords ruled on appeal that

wearing a turban was each Sikhs right.

6. Last Maharaja, First Ambassador

The British learned the true significance

of the Sikh turban through the example

of one man; Duleep Singh. Arriving in

Britain as a boy in 1854, he became a


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favourite of Queen Victoria and lived the

comfortable life of a stylish celebrity

aristocrat. But he was also a prisoner.

Following two Anglo-Sikh Wars, Britain

finally controlled the Indian subcontinent

and Duleep Singh was the last Maharaja

of the annexed Sikh Empire.

With its gift of the priceless Koh-i-Noor

diamond, the Punjab provided the literal

jewel in the crown of the British Empire.

Duleep youngest son of the Lion of

the Punjab became a hostage againstfuture instability. The exiled prince was

allowed his royal status and would wear

his elegant, jewel-encrusted turban to

state and royal occasions. Duleep and

his Sikh retainers were depicted and

discussed favourably in the Victorian

media.

Later Duleep rebelled against his

comfortable captivity. Inspired by tales


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of India from visiting Sikh relations

especially his mother, Maharani Jinda,

he attempted to regain his lost heritage.

But Duleep had few, if any, of the

qualities of his famous father. The

British outmanoeuvred him at every turn,

and he died penniless and unhappy in

France.

7. Fierce Warriors, Staunch Allies

After the Anglo-Sikh Wars, the British

were so impressed by their opponentsfighting valour they found a role for them

in the Raj. Dispatched to the Empires

unruly North West Frontier, the Sikhs

fought bravely throughout what we now

call Afghanistan, remained loyal duringthe India Mutiny in 1857 and fought to

the last man at Saragarhi in 1897.

Lauded in the Victorian press, the heroic

exploits of Sikhs became the talk of


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drawing rooms and playing fields across

the world.

But the real test of Sikh valour came

during the Great War. Remaining true to

their reputation as steadfast warriors,

thousands of Sikhs volunteered to fight

in Flanders, Gallipoli, Suez, Kilimanjaroand Baghdad. Sikhs wore turbans under

fire; many later finding bullets in the

windings. During the Second World War,

Sikhs fought in Burma, Italy and the

Middle East, won medals andcommendations and even served as

bodyguards to Sir Winston Churchill.

Across both conflicts around 83,005

Sikhs were killed and 109,045 wounded.A century of sacrifice gives Sikhs an

enduring fame in British military history.

Today, images of Sikh soldiers line the

corridors of the Royal Military Academy

in Sandhurst. Sikhs continue to serve


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Great Britain today in Iraq, Afghanistan

and across the world.

8. The Turban Effect

As the new millennium approached, a

widespread appreciation and

understanding of Sikh identity was

dawning in the West. But the fruits of

fifty years of peaceful, persistent

struggle were wiped out overnight on

September 11 2001. With the 9/11 attacks

the image of bearded, be-turbaned menas Islamist terrorists became fixed in

popular culture, with tragic

consequences.

Sikhs have since been abused,threatened and beaten especially in the

Unites States. In Arizona a racist

gunman sought out and murdered Balbir

Singh Sodhi within days of the Twin

Towers attack for revenge. In 2011 two


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becoming mainstream breaking

boundaries and ensuring people

recognise and respect the Dastaar for

what it is every Sikhs personal, unique

crown.


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CROWNED HEADS (Mannequins)

The Kenyan

How to recognise a Kenyan Dastaar:

A smart, ironed and crisply folded

layered turban.

Colours: Varied; clean white in the

tropics, a sedate black in modern

corporate environments.

The East African Connection:

The so-called Kenyan Dastaar is a

popular turban with second and third

generation British Sikhs. It was firstworn in the UK by Sikhs migrating from

Kenya and Tanzania, many of whom had

filled senior roles in East African society.

Judges, politicians, businessmen; their


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neat, precise turban style reflected their

status as professionals.

The origin of The Kenyan is in the

formal, folded and pressed style of

turban developed as parade dress by

Sikhs serving in the British Indian Army.

These uniform turbans were smart butalso large, making each soldiers

silhouette more imposing. The Kenyan

style remains in vogue and has become

a signature look for British Sikhs.

Help us improve our definition of The

Kenyan and send in your favourite

pictures for inclusion in our show at

facebook.com/Turbanology.Sikhs.Unwra

pped.Exhibition

The Double-Patti


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How to recognise a Double-Patti

Dastaar:

A double-patti can be difficult to

positively identify as the wearer may

adapt it into many different styles. It is

usually larger than other turbans, with

fewer folds and wraps. Colours aresometimes worn to complement shirts,

ties, or even socks!

One is Not Enough

This style of turban is commonly seen in

the Punjab, India. The double-patti is

named for the two long pieces of cloth

which are sewn together into one wide

band. The open cloth is wound aroundthe head and formed into a smooth layer

while tieing, giving the turban a thick

and defined outline. This method

enables the wearer to create different


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turban-styles according to their

preference; rounded out, taller or angled.


Double-Patti and send in your favourite



pped.Exhibition

The Damalla

How to recognise a Damalla:

These round turbans are traditionally

seen in blue or orange; white and other

colours can sometimes be spotted. A

Damalla is made from two layers; the

outer layer sometimes holding weapons

and symbols and even symbolic

weapons!

Winding for a Warrior


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The Damalla is the traditional Sikh

warrior turban. It cocoons the entire

head, offering protection on the

battlefield. A Damalla is actually two or

more pieces of cloth. The first is

wrapped around the hair and ties off the

wearers hair into a top-knot. A piece of

cloth as long as the wearer wishes isthen chosen and wrapped around the

head without ironing or folding.

The Damalla is the oldest form of

turban, worn by the Sikh Gurusthemselves. Over time it has come to

represent the Sikh Khalsa and the

discipline of these Warrior-Saints. The

largest Damallas are often seen

crowning the heads of Nihangs, fierce

warriors, whose modified Damallas are

not just turbans but battle standards.


Damalla and send in your favourite


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pped.Exhibition

Ladies Dastaar

Equality across Identity

Sikh faith has equality at the root

women and men are always empowered

to worship without any prejudice or

restriction. In this way, a feminine

counterpart of the Dastaar has evolved,

with its own unique styles and

variations. Many of the Singhnian (or

female Sikhs) who tie a Turban wear a

layered Damalla and drape it with achuni (scarf) to distinguish themselves

from their brothers.

Beauty personified


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A womans Dastaar may look more

subtle and perhaps more chic than the

masculine counterpart, but the woman

who ties one accepts the same strict

discipline as a man not to not pluck or

cut her hair and to wear the 5 Ks at all

times. The discipline is difficult but

rewarding.

Women who wear a Dastaar have many

strong female role models to draw

inspiration from including: Mata Sahib

Kaur (the Mother of the Khalsa) whoplayed a pivotal role in the Vaisakhi

baptism of 1699; and Mata Bhag Kaur

(Mai Bhago) who led 40 Sikh deserters

back to fight alongside the 10th Guru at

the Battle of Muktsar and was the sole

survivor against thousands of Mughals.

Help us improve our definition of TheDamalla and send in your favourite



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facebook.com/Turbanology.Sikhs.Unwrapped.Exhibition

Documents

Turbanology Vaisakhi 2012 - Large Print Version