Sunday, June 30, 2013

What One Should Know About A White Turban

By Freda Watts


A white turban is same as other turbans and is utilized to protect the head and hair from dirt and pollutants. They are also known as bulle, dastar, or pagri in various places around the world. Apart from white, turbans also appear in a broad range of colors such as red, yellow, green, blue, pink, black, gray, and brown, among others. Some have patterns while some have a mixture of colors.

The major wearers of white turbans are the Sikhs, Muslims, Hindus, and some Christians. These headgears are worn in almost all parts of the world and are gaining more popularity over time. They are widely used in the Middle East, parts of Asia, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, northern and eastern Africa, the Americas, and parts of Europe.

In Afghanistan and other Muslim states, it has been rendered part of the national cloth. In such states, where it is viewed as part of national dress, every citizen is supposed to wear it. People who do not tie them are considered as outcasts and might be targets of assault by community. Religious heads are also required to tie them whether they are on duty or not.

Among the Sikhs, this headdress is treated with much respect. The Sikhs have belief that wearing of the bulle is fulfillment of the Holy Scripture according to Sikhism. They consider it as a duty to always wear and to protect the dastar for their entire lives. This is particularly more after going through the initiation that qualifies young people as Sikhs.

During the initiation, youths have some fragrance sprinkled on their heads as required by their faith. The perfume is a holy substance and so by spraying it on the heads, the heads are also rendered holy. Holy hair must then to be maintained in that state by wrapping it using pagris for the whole time the initiates are alive.

Pagri protects hair and keeps it from cigarette smoke, which is considered as a pollutant. Initiates are also not required to smoke or relate closely to smokers. Since cigarette smoke is never allowed to come in contact with the hair, heads are protected by covering them with turbans. Other society members also regard dastar wearers as holy and well behaved people.

The headgear also indicates the political, religious, and social responsibilities one is charged with. The style and color used by various social groups may differ depending on the religious group in question. The dastar may also be tied differently in various events such as weddings, funerals, parties, and other social occasions. They come in varied shapes and sizes to fit various applications.

Tying a white turban can be done by a single person, but with the help of another person, it is done faster and better. It requires some skills, to tie the bulle correctly. Some individuals offer the necessary skills in small businesses for a small fee. A white turban in specific observation symbolizes high spirituality and holiness of wearers. By observation, it is mostly worn by old very religious folks as opposed to young people.




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