Patka is a Sikh headgear in lieu of the full Sikh turban. It is worn by young Sikh boys to cover a small topknot called joora . [1] [2]
Patka is usually a square piece of cloth with four strings attached at the corners for tying. [2]
A different way of wearing a patka is used by sportsmen: covering the head but not tying the joora. [3] [4]
In 2014 there was a row with FIBA about two Sikh Indian players, Amritpal Singh and Amjyot Singh wearing patkas during the FIBA Asia Cup. [5] In 2017 FIBA lifted the patka ban. [6] In 2018 Indian wrestler Jashkawar Gill was denied the participation in a tournament in Turkey for his refusal to replace his patka with a women-style tying of hair allowed by the United World Wrestling rules. [7]
A turban is a type of headwear based on cloth winding. Featuring many variations, it is worn as customary headwear by people of various cultures. Communities with prominent turban-wearing traditions can be found in the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, the Balkans, the Caucasus, Central Asia, North Africa, West Africa, East Africa, and amongst some Turkic peoples in Russia.
In Sikhism, the Five Ks are five items that Guru Gobind Singh, in 1699, commanded Khalsa Sikhs to wear at all times. They are: kesh, kangha, kara, kachhera, and kirpan.
The Nihang or Akali, also known as Dal Khalsa, is an armed Sikh warrior order originating in the Indian subcontinent. Nihangs are believed to have originated either from Fateh Singh and the attire he wore or from the "Akal Sena" started by Guru Hargobind. Early Sikh military history was dominated by the Nihang, known for their victories where they were heavily outnumbered. Traditionally known for their bravery and ruthlessness in the battlefield, the Nihang once formed the irregular guerrilla squads of the armed forces of the Sikh Empire, the Sikh Khalsa Army.
Vasant Panchami, also rendered Vasanta Panchami and Saraswati Puja in honour of the Hindu goddess Saraswati, is a festival that marks the preparation for the arrival of spring. The festival is celebrated in Indian religions in different ways depending on the region. Vasant Panchami also marks the start of preparation for Holika and Holi, which take place forty days later. The Vasant Utsava (festival) on Panchami is celebrated forty days before spring, because any season's transition period is 40 days, and after that, the season comes into full bloom.
A dastār is an item of headwear associated with Sikhism and Sikh culture. The word is loaned from Persian through Punjabi. In Persian, the word dastār can refer to any kind of turban and replaced the original word for turban, dolband (دلبند), from which the English word is derived.
American Sikhs form the country's sixth-largest religious group. While the U.S. Census does not ask about religion, 70,697 Americans declared Sikh as their ethnicity in the 2020 census. The U.S. Census Bureau cites the 2008 American Religious Identification Survey's estimate of the adult Sikh American population at 78,000. The Pew Research Center estimated the Sikh American adult population to be 140,000 and the total population at 200,000 in 2012 while the World Religion Database at Boston University estimated the American Sikh population to be at 280,000 in 2012. Sikh organizations like the Sikh Coalition and American Sikh Congressional Caucus estimate the Sikh American population to be as high as 1,000,000, but do not provide any sources for these figures; 500,000 nevertheless remains the most cited Sikh American population size. With 1% of Asian Americans being Sikh, and 90.7% of Sikh Americans being Asian American, the American Sikh population can be estimated at around 200,000–300,000 in 2021. The largest Sikh populations in the U.S. are found in California (52%), New York (11%), and Washington (6%).
In Sikhism, kesh or kes is the practice of allowing one's hair to grow naturally without cutting. The practice is one of The Five Kakaars, the outward symbols ordered by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699 as a means to profess the Sikh faith. The hair is combed twice daily with a kanga, another of the five Ks, and tied into a simple knot known as a joora or rishi knot. This knot of hair is usually held in place with the kanga and covered by a turban.
The India men's national basketball team represents India in international men's basketball. It is controlled by Basketball Federation of India. The team made significant improvements as the sports of basketball is becoming more popular.
French Sikhs are a growing but minority group in France. It is estimated there are about 30,000 Sikhs, most of whom are based in Paris, Bobigny and Île-de-France.
Headgear, headwear, or headdress is any element of clothing which is worn on one's head, including hats, helmets, turbans and many other types. Headgear is worn for many purposes, including protection against the elements, decoration, or for religious or cultural reasons, including social conventions.
Sikhs and Sikh Americans have served in the United States military since World War I through all subsequent wars. Since the 1980s, observant Sikhs have faced difficulty in serving due to a discontinuation of exemptions to uniform standards which previously allowed Sikhs to maintain their religiously mandated beards and turbans while in uniform.
The Dumalla is a type of turban worn by Sikhs. This turban is worn mainly by Sikhs who are initiated into the Khalsa, through participating in the Amrit Sanchar but can be worn by all Sikhs. However, the more common one is the Dastar. The word Dumalla means "Du" meaning two and "Malla" meaning cloth or fabric. This is because there will usually be one fabric to form the base of the turban and a second to wrap around the base to form the turban itself. There many different types of Dumalla, in many different sizes and colours.
Sikhism was founded in Punjab in 1469 by Guru Nanak on the foundations that everyone is equal, regardless of caste, age, or gender. Both men and women are supposed to follow the Five Ks: Kesh, Kangha (comb), Kara, Kachera and Kirpan, and there was never a distinction between what a woman should be allowed to do versus a man at theological level. Men and women are treated equally in the temple (gurdwara), and everyone eats and prays side-by-side. Both men and women are meant to carry the Kirpan with them as they are responsible for their own physical protection, and should not depend on others. Sikhs are strictly against the caste system and many chose to use Kaur or Singh as a last name to push against the problematic caste system in India. There is only one god (Waheguru) in Sikhism and they are without form or gender, and everyone is equal in the eyes of God. Many Sikh women believe that this absence of assignment of code of conduct for a woman versus a man proves that their religion is historically committed to gender equality. Presently, the culture does not always follow these traditions and equality is often more true in ideals rather than daily practice. According to Kiman Kaur: "It is essential to take into account the diverse Kaur narratives in order to critically understand the violence Sikh women experience due to religious, ethnic, and gender minoritization through enabling more intersectional conversations."
Turban training centre or turban tying centre or dastar academy are training institutes opened by professionals, who train Sikhs, in tying dastar on their heads. They also tie dastar for those people who do not know how to tie a turban, charging fees. Their regular clients include industrialists, businessmen, doctors, engineers, transporters and students.
Satnam Singh Bhamara is an Indian professional wrestler and former professional basketball player, currently signed to the American professional wrestling promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He also makes appearances for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA), where he is one-half of the current AAA World Tag Team Champions in their first reign. He became the first Indian player to be drafted into the National Basketball Association (NBA) when the Dallas Mavericks selected him with the 52nd overall pick of the 2015 NBA draft. At 7 ft 4 in (2.24 m) and 400 pounds (180 kg), Singh played the center position. He played high school basketball at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
Amritpal Singh is an Indian professional basketball player who represents Punjab of the National Basketball Championship. In the past, he played for the Sydney Kings of the Australian National Basketball League.
Amjyot Singh Gill is an Indian professional basketball player. He has previously played for the Tokyo Excellence of the National Basketball Development League (NBDL) and the Delhi Capitals of the UBA Pro Basketball League. He and Amritpal Singh became the first Indian male to sign a professional basketball contract abroad.
Iqbal Singh Kingra was an Indian socio-spiritual leader of the Sikh community. He was the Founder President of The Kalgidhar Trust, The Kalgidhar Society and Baru Sahib. He was considered to be one of the most influential Sikhs in the world. He was awarded the Sikh Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016. In 2018 he was bestowed with Shiromani Panth Rattan by Takht Sri Harmandir Ji Patna Sahib. In 2022, he was conferred with the Padma Shri by the Government Of India for his contributions in the field of social work.
Anti-Sikh sentiment in Canada is the manifestation of hostility, prejudice, or discrimination against Canadian Sikhs as a religious and ethnic group. This form of racism has affected Sikhs since Canada's Sikh community was established in 1897.