The turban ( ਦਸਤਾਰ/ਦਸਤ-ਏ-ਯਾਰ in Punjabi / Persian) holds politico-religious significance in Punjab and among the sikh diaspora. The turban is not just a headgear or a piece of cloth wrapped around the heads of Sikhs. It has many layers of meaning and is an integral part of the Sikh attire that was gifted by the 10th master, Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji. The Persian meaning of the turban has been explained here (click to view).
Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji reformed the process of baptism of Sikhs with amrit pahul (“the nectar ceremony”), also known as khande ki pahul (“ceremony of the double edged sword”). Through this ceremonial commitment to the teachings of Sikhism, a Sikh transformed into a Khalsa. The 10th Guru declared that after going through the ceremony, all Sikhs would be duty-bound to wear their turban at all times so that they can be identifiable among a sea of people.
The identity of being a Khalsa was embodied in the aftermath of the martyrdom of our 9th master, Sri Guru Teg Bahadur ji. In 1675, on the orders of the Mughal court, under the rule of Aurangzeb, our 9th Master was beheaded in Chandni Chowk .
Bhai Jiwan Singh risked his life, sacrificed his father to rescue and return the severed head of Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Sahib ji to the 10th guru at Anandpur Sahib. Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji was a 9-year-old boy at that time and after seeing his father’s head he compassionately asked Bhai Jiwan Singh, as to why was there nobody else to help him in securing the 9th guru’s severed head? Bhai Jiwan Singh ji, who was given a special honour of being “Rangharetta Guru Ka beta” (the young man of the Ranghar caste is the Guru’s own son), replied that there was no way to identify if there was any other Sikh in Chandni Chowk who would help him. It left a deep concern in the sensitive mind of our 10th Guru, who was afterall of a tender age.
While grieving his father’s death he maintained an exceptional balance of emotions and startegic thinking. Later, in 1699, on the day of Vaisakhi, the turban became a symbol of responsibilities that the Khalsa had to fullfill at all times. Now from a far away distance, in a sea of people, you can easily find a Sikh embodying the teachings of his Gurus wherever s/he stands.