Costumes of Punjabi People

It is a well known fact that the north western region of India nurtures a state called Punjab. Punjab is largely inhabited by people who follow the religion Sikhism. Sikhism emerged in . Its proponent was Guru Nanak Dev and followed by nine more gurus. The men who belong to the Sikhism are often seen as distinct from the other religions in India due to their apparels. They dress up distinctly and are well distinguished from other communities. The Sikhs have to follow a total of five rituals or patterns in their costumes and lives. Those five are known as The Five Ks. The five Ks are five articles of faith that Khalsa Sikhs follow which was commanded by the tenth Sikh guru Guru Gobind Singh who ordered it at Visakhi Amrit Sanskar in 1699. These five articles of faith also form their external identities. They comprise Sikh rehni i.e. Sikh way of life. Any Sikh who has taken Amrit has to follow all five of them and is known as Khalsa i.e. Pure or Amritdhari i.e. Amrit Sanskar Participant. The Five articles of faith are: 1. Kesh i.e. uncut hair. The Sikh men do not cut their hair on the head or shave their beard. The hair is considered sacred and therefore is kept intact and untouched to indicate the perfection of Gods creation. To manage well the long length of hair on the head the men roll them into a bun and tie an approximately 7 meters long cloth around their head in a turban. One who does not tie a turban is liable for penalty. The turban which they wear to protect the kesh is called a dataar. Turban is the spiritual crown which keeps a Sikh aware of the fact that they are consciously living according to the Sikh principles. 2. Kangha i.e. a wooden comb to comb the hair twice a day before tying a fresh turban each time. Once the hair is tied the comb is worn in the hair itself and is kept there all times. Comb is also symbolic of cleanliness. It keeps reminding Sikhs that their lives should be organized and tidy. The Sikhs endeavour to maintain grace in the god given hair. 3. Kara i.e. a metal bracelet or an iron bangle which the Sikhs wear around their wrist. The Kara was proposed so that before any Sikh does any work with their hands he or she is constantly reminded of the advice given by their guru. Kara also symbolizes the never ending circle of life. 4. Kachera i.e. a specific style of cotton undergarments. It was originally taken as a sign of such a Sikh who is ready to fight at the command of his regime. Further it was a loose garment which helped them to fight or battle without any hindrance or restriction. It was also easy to maintain, stitch, and wash and to carry around in comparison with other under garments. It also stands for self respect and control over lust which is considered as an evil. Kachera has an

embedded string that circles around the waist and helps in tightening or loosening of the garment. In appearance it looks like shorts and is worn under the outer garment. Women, however do not wear kachera because it is considered too revealing. 5. Kirpan: a trapped curved sword or a short dagger. It is carried by a Sikh in defence and is approximately 6 to 9 long. It stands for valour and for protection of the weak. Initially it used to be very sharp and was used to fight the oppressors but now it is more kept as a symbol than for the use. The costume which Sikh men wear along with these five articles of faith is a chola i.e. a cloak. It is a long loose shirt and is in blue colour which is the traditional colour of a Sikh warrior. It can be worn daily but mostly men wear it on religious occasions. It can be worn over a pair of pants or over kachera itself. The women in Punjab wear salwar kameez which is a traditional dress worn by women in general in south Asia. Salwar Kameez is worn by women in Punjab because it suits the hot climate of Punjab for the most part of the year. The Kameez is a long shirt made of cotton generally and covers the upper half of a females body and a salwar is a pant like loose garment that can be tied around the waist by a string. Salwar kameez is also accompanied by a colourful duppata which is a thin cloth mostly worn around the neck. However, with the coming of westernization women have started wearing the western outfits but largely go by the traditional attire. Men in Punjab wear kurta pyjama which can be called a male version of salwaar kameez. This dress too is not limited to people of Punjab only but rather to Asians as a whole. Men also wear shirts and pants these days.