Thursday, May 23, 2013

Importance Of The Indian Turban

By Jennie Sandoval


Some deeply cultured countries like India, North Africa, Afghanistan, Jamaica and some areas in the Middle Eastern countries like South Asia & East Africa, people wear what you call the turban on their heads. It is especially famous in India and it's the men who wear it the most. Reasons behind why Indian men like to wear the Indian turban are because it's a symbol of the people's heritage. There are up to seventy different types of turbans available.

The headdress isn't just a symbol of culture, but to some it's a mark of the way they worship. The Sikhs tribe, originally from Punjab use the name Dastar when referring to the turban. To this tribe, it is sacred and forms part of their appearance in public.

A story of a man who had become a member of Royal Canadian Mounted police was said to have refused to remove this headgear in exchange for wearing traditional Mounties' hat. He proclaimed that the headdress was part and parcel of his uniform. This became so serious that it went to court, where the court ruled that it was an infringement of this man's human rights to insist that he remove his.

In some religions, it is adorned by both males and females alike. The headdress first came up in writing written in the fourteenth century. In some parts of Afghanistan, especially those parts where the Taliban dominated, any man who was found not wearing it was beaten.

All turban wearers do not wear them all the time. For example: Hindus wear their turbans for special ceremonies and important holidays. Sikh men wear theirs all the time, in their homes and out in public - except to sleep. In Islamic countries most men do not wear turbans. The headgear is worn there like a crown. The Taliban wear turbans to show their dedication to Islam.

Those who wear it do not have to wear the head gear all the time. An example is the Hindu culture. Hindus put on their turbans only on special occasions and their holiday seasons. The men who come from the Sikh tribe on the other hand wear them all year round, at home, in public etc. The only exception to this rule is when they are sleeping. In most Islamic countries, a large number of men don't wear turbans. The reason is that they wear it like a crown instead.

How it is worn is that a knot must be tied at the top of one's head, the fabric must then be wrapped around the knot, with just one end of the turban behind the ear. A safety pin is then used to ensure that the headdress is securely in place. Whatever is left of the fabric, it is twisted and wrapped around the head again.

It is not certain where the Indian turban originated exactly. The prediction is that in the earliest of time, the Persians would wear caps shaped like corn and these caps were wrapped in band of cloth. Historians assume that this cap might have evolved into what we now know as the turban.




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