large print guide to turbanology may 2011

8/6/2019 Large Print Guide to Turbanology May 2011

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TURBANOLOGY LARGE PRINT LABELS

1. Introductory Panel

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 Dastaarin 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 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.


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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 via www.turbanology.info

The Turbanology Team

Director Jay Singh-Sohal

Curator Scholars and Warriors

Designer Mandeep Malhi

Graphics Amit Patel

Photography Jaskirt Dhaliwal

Online Forward Slash Designs

Publicist Sukhmani Vig

Archive Pictures Courtesy of:

GNNSJ, Birmingham

National Army Museum


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Peter Bance, Coronet House

Sandhurst Collection

UK MoD/Crown Copyright 2011

Dot Hyphen Productions 2011

The Turbanology name brand and concept are solely theintellectual property of Jagjeet Singh Sohal.


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2. The Head and the Heart (Banner ONE)

The long piece of cloth that makes up a Sikhs turbanhas 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 a word 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 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 the head, 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.


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3. Twists and Turns (Banner TWO)

Turbans are worn in many world cultures as practical orsymbolic 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.

The first Guru Nanak Dev traveled across India andthe 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 the battlefield.

In 1699, the tenth Guru, Gobind Singh, created the Khalsa

an order of initiated Sikh men and women at Anandpur

in the Punjab. The turban was from then on to be wornas 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. Every Sikh will aspire

to wear a turban whether devout or practicing.


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4. Divine Law, Human Law (Banner THREE)

When tales of wartime bravery were told, the Sikhsbecame 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 religious identity became a feature of

1960s Britain.

State-run public transport depots banned conductors,

guards and drivers from 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 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

1983 Sewa Singh Mandla fought a ban on turbans at his

sons Birmingham school. The Sikh community organised


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protest marches and petitioned politicians across the

country. After losing their case at Birminghams law courts,

the House of Lords ruled on appeal that wearing a turbanwas each Sikhs right.

5. Turbanology 001 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 withsecond and third generation British Sikhs. It was first worn

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 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 but also large, making each soldiers


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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.Unwrapped.Exhibition

6. Turbanology 002 The Double-Patti

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 are sometimes 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 around the head and formed into a smooth

layer while tieing, giving the turban a thick and defined


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outline. This method enables the wearer to create different

turban-styles according to their preference; rounded out,

taller or angled.

Help us improve our definition of The Double-

Patti and send in your favourite pictures



7. Turbanology 003: 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

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


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wearers hair into a top-knot. A piece of cloth as long as

the wearer wishes is then chosen and wrapped around the

head without ironing or folding.

The Damalla is the oldest form of turban, worn by

the Sikh Gurus themselves. 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 battlestandards.

Help us improve our definition of The

Damalla and send in your favourite pictures



8. About the show

The Turbanology exhibition explores why the right

to wear a turban is central to the Sikh faith, at a timewhen there are many growing misunderstandings and

misrepresentations about them. Turbanology dispels

these myths and unravels the real heritage that is wound

into a Sikh's turban.


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9. What you can see

Crowned Heads - There are three plinths arranged

around the gallery space, all with mounted mannequin

heads. Each one models an example of a style of Sikh

turban. That turban's unique history can be read from the

plinth.

Being Framed - There are three picture frames

mounted on easels and arranged around the gallery. Each

is specific to one of the turban styles featured in the show.

All hold images of dozens of Sikhs proudly wearing that

turban in their daily lives.

Material Witnesses - There are three lengths of fabricin the gallery; Each one unravels a fascinating aspect of

the story of Sikhs and their turbans. These stories will be

added to as the show tours the UK.

10. What you can do

Your Pictures - If you have a picture ofyourself or someone you know wearing any of our

Turbanology styles, please share it with us and we

might feature it in the show. You can leave it at the

front desk, with a contact number or email on the


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reverse, or post it online at www.facebook.com/


(Sorry; we can't return your pictures)

Your Ideas - Let us know what turbans you think

we should feature next, and cast your vote on the

ones we've already selected. Tell us what stories

you think we should feature as Material Witnesses

in our upcoming shows. www.facebook.com/Turbanology.Sikhs.Unwrapped.Exhibition

large print guide to turbanology may 2011

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