Under the tenets of Sikhism, one can remove the turban only at home, during a bath.
The turban for Sikhs is a mandatory symbol of their faith and therefore to ask them to remove it, is a direct infringement of their human right to religion/ faith. There have been many recent example of where a Sikh man has been asked to remove his turban, Mr Waris in the US was a recent event that was publicised.
The headgear, called a dastaar, is one of the five religious symbols carried by baptised Sikhs on their bodies at all times. Being asked to remove it is considered an insult to the Sikh religion.
From such beginnings, Sikhism is now the fifth largest religion in the world, with an estimated 27 million followers, the majority in Punjab. According to the 2011 census, there are 423,000 Sikhs in the UK, while significant populations are spread across other countries. But not all of them wear turbans.
Thus, the turban is an integral component of Sikh identity and a core article of faith (Sikh Coalition, 2020). Unlike a hat, a turban is carefully tied daily, and is worn at all times by observant Sikhs. There are several styles, sizes, and colours of turban for children and adults based on personal preference.
The turban is one of five articles of faith worn by Sikhs, representing spirituality, honour and piety. According to the religious tenets of Sikhism, it should not be removed in public and can only be taken off in the privacy of the home.
One of the most distinguishing features about Sikhs is the practice of keeping long uncut hair (kes). Some women, do not cut the hair on their head, some do not cut or trim any hair at all, while others cut their hair. With any religion, people practice it to the degree they want to or are comfortable with.
The Rehat Maryada, an important religious text, explicitly forbids cutting or shaving any body hair for initiated Sikhs.
Marrying people of other faiths is acceptable, they say, but conducting that marriage in a Sikh temple is not. Non-Sikhs can only be involved if they accept the Sikh faith and change their name to include Singh or Kaur, the council insists.
The SGPC has warned those who plan to get a tattoo of Sikh religious symbols or Gurbani verses on any part of their body. Akal Takht has already put a blanket ban on Sikh religious tattooing and pronounced an edict in June.
For this reason by practitioners they are kept with the utmost respect. This includes regular maintenance of hair which includes but is not limited to combing at least twice daily, washing regularly and not allowing for public touching.
The Sikh religion forbids the use of alcohol and other intoxicants. Sikhs are also not allowed eat meat - the principle is to keep the body pure. All gurdwaras are supposed to follow the Sikh code, known as the Akal Takht Sandesh, which comes from the highest Sikh authority in India.
Although men and women are held to the same standard in Sikhism, there is a cultural double standard on kesh. Provided that women maintain long tresses, the community generally looks the other way when it comes to removing facial and body hair.
Sikh Turbans
A very important and exciting event in the life of a Sikh boy is when he starts tying the turban. In a Sikh family this ceremony is held normally when the boy is between 11 to 16 years old. It is usually held in a Gurudwara before the Guru Granth Sahib and following Ardas. It is called Dastar Bandi.
Drinking alcohol is often associated with the Punjabi culture, but is prohibited in Sikhism. Baptised Sikhs are forbidden from drinking but some non-baptised Sikhs do consume alcohol. Whilst the vast majority of those who do drink have no problem, a small number of Punjabi Sikh women are affected.
From bullying in schools to discrimination in the workplace to becoming victims of violence, Sikhs continue to suffer because fellow citizens connect their appearance to terrorism. As a result, more and more Sikhs are practicing their faith without its most visible article — the turban and the unshorn hair under it.
In Sikhism, there is no place for polygamy and polyandry. Sikh Gurus advocated the institution of monogamous marriage. Marriage in Sikhism is not a social contract.
But actually Sikhs do get divorced sometimes, just like everyone else.
Mecca is regarded as the holiest city in Islam, and a pilgrimage to it (Hajj) is one of the pillars of Islam. Non-Muslims are prohibited from entering the city.
Kirpans are typically sheathed and worn with a gatra (a strap) underneath clothing. The kirpan obligates a Sikh to the ideals of generosity, compassion and service to humanity. It acts as a reminder to its bearer of a Sikh's solemn duty to protect the weak and promote justice for all.
Is cutting nails allowed in Sikhism? only the dead part of the nails needs to be cut, not the whole nails. Just as dead hair is removed with a comb, the dead part of nails, which grow beyond the finger, should be cut with a nail cutter.
The rebels wore yellow headdresses to signify their association with the “earth” element, which they believed would succeed the red “fire” element that represented Han rule.
The traditional Sikh greeting is “Waheguru Jee Ka Khalsa Waheguru Jee Kee Fateh” meaning the Khalsa belongs to God and all victory belongs to God. A shorter greeting that is often used is “Sat Sri Akal” meaning Timeless God is Truth.
Yes , Sikhism prohibits removal of all body hairs both for men and women.
You can show your hair as a Sikh
"In the Sikh tradition there is no prohibition of showing your hair. It's not that hair cannot be seen. It's an identity, as opposed to having to cover your hair." His flowing locks are so long he can wrap them up without a hair band or elastic.