by Jasprit Singh, PhD
Style for Sale
In the posh boutiques of New York and Paris, fashion designers scratch their heads to come up with the next look for the “man of style.” How should the hair be cut? Should the man with the look have sideburns? Should he have a moustache? Should the hair be dyed? Should he wear a cap? Should he don a hat?
The accountants use their laptop computers to churn out the numbers giving the profits to be made if the look includes a baseball cap . . . if the man could be persuaded to dye his hair . . . or if he could be coaxed into shaving twice a day, instead of only once.
Once the visionary designers have finalized the look, they hire an ad agency to market it. A worldwide blitz is launched. Men with the look are shown with women fawning over them; the man with the look is successful at everything: business, love, sports, gambling. . . .Men/Boys around the world fantasize about the look and soon the designer’s coffers start to overflow. Success!
The Sikh creates his own style through his dastar, or his head-dress. The New York designers are unable to profit from this style. The razor companies are left holding the bag. The Sikh has created his own style. Not even another Sikh can emulate his style—so individual is his look.
The Sikh’s dastar gives him self-confidence and pride. The simplest peasant from the Punjab ties his turban as if he were an Emperor. The dastar is the crown of the Sikh. It brings equality between the millionaire and the pauper.
The Beauty of the Pugree
The most beautiful head-dress for men is the hand-tied pugree or turban. This head-dress, once banned by the Mughal Emperors for the commoner, identifies the Sikh from near and afar. The Sikh cannot hide in the masses! He must stand and be counted. (Click to enlarge the image)
The turban or pugree is made from fine cotton and usually comes in about one meter width. A visit to a pugree shop reveals a multitude of colors. Bright ones for the young at heart! The standard black, maroon, army green, navy blue and steel grey for the mature look! White and saffron for the religious look!
The simpler version of the pugree involves an approximately five meter long piece of cloth. Men, who prefer the fuller look may buy eight meters of cloth, cut it in half and make a four-meter-by-two-meter turban to work with.
The Sikh child begins to learn the art of turban tying around his teens. It may take him several years to master the procedure and develop his own personal style to create a work of art.
The pugree is sometimes starched lightly, especially if it is to be worn again without retying it. Otherwise, one works with the soft, unstarched cloth. The first step is the punee where two people stretch the cloth diagonally. The cloth is then folded, while the pugree is kept stretched along the diagonal. Both people fold (by rolling) with their right hands, keeping the left side stretched. After the folding, turban cloth is gathered.
Before tying the pugree the wearer may wrap a colorful fifty around his head. The front portion of the fifty will be visible on the forehead and adds beauty to the pugree.
The tying of the pugree is not simple if one wants to look attractive. Every Sikh boy has spent hours in front of the mirror perfecting the technique. Many Sikh women also wear beautiful turbans with a distinct style. One end of the pugree is held in the mouth while one gradually wraps the cloth around the head. The angle at which each turn is made, the pinching of the cloth on the forehead, the opening and closing of the folds of the cloth—all add subtle touches which lend each pugree a unique look.
Once the entire cloth is almost used up the last part is tucked in front taking great care to smooth any wrinkles from this last fold. The end that was clenched in the teeth is now released and pulled to the back of the head. The first fold is now pulled through and opened so that the entire head can be covered. The back end is now pulled back and tucked in.
Tying of the turban is a physical ritual for the Sikh man and for the woman who chooses to wear a turban. It is a ballet, with precise movements of the hands, shoulders and fingers. The cloth is the medium of this art. Once perfected, it only takes a couple of minutes to tie the turban. But it transforms the way the Sikh looks!
The Less formal Style
The Sikh dastar does not always have to be the long turban. Depending upon the situation, Sikhs have developed less formal styles as well. A two meter long piece of cloth (often with an interesting pattern) can make an attractive, less formal dastar. (Click to enlarge the image)
The In-formal Style
Sikh sportsmen wear the patka made from a square piece of cloth (about two feet by two feet) with strings attached on two sides. The patka is tied around the head with the jurha snugly wrapped in the patka’s strings. Often a bandanna can be tied around the head with no strings. (Click to enlarge the image) 
Every religion and culture has its own style of leading one from birth to death. The Sikh style was bestowed by the ten Gurus. Many Sikhs have lived the Sikh style—often at great personal risk—and have influenced the Sikh style.
Dr. Jasprit Singh is a professor of Applied Physics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and has written five books, the latest entitled ‘Quantum Mechanics: Fundamentals and Applications to Technology’. He also authored a book in Punjabi language entitled 'Style of the Lion: The Sikhs'.
The picture on the front page is of Sardar Bhupinder Singh. All other pictures are taken from Dr Jasprit Singh's book 'Style of the Lion: The Sikh'.
