Kesh (Sikhism)
Encyclopedia
In Sikhism
, Kesh (sometimes Kes) is the practice of allowing one's hair to grow naturally as a symbol of respect for the perfection of God's creation. The practice is one of the Five Ks, 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
.
Kesh is considered the most important of the Five Ks. At the Amrit Sanchar in 1699, Guru Gobind Singh
explained the reason for this :
So important is Kesh that during the persecution of Sikhs under the Mughal Empire
, followers were willing to face death rather than shave or cut their hair to disguise themselves or appease the Khan
. Bhai Taru Singh
was executed for refusing to cut his hair as an offering to Zakaria Khan, the governor of Punjab
, in 1745. He became a martyr and a symbol of the importance of Kesh.
"ਬਚਨ ਹੈ ਸ੍ਰ੍ਰ੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਕਾ ਕਿ ਜੋ ਕੋਈ ਸਿਖ ਦਾ ਬੇਟਾ ਹੋਏੇ ਔੌਰ ਮੋਨਾ ਹੋਇ ਜਾਵੈ
This is the command of the Guru, that if the son of a Sikh shaves their head,
ਤਸਿ ਕੀ ਜੜ੍ਹ੍ਹ੍ਹ ਸ ਕੀ, ਔੌਰ ਜੋ ਮੋਨਾ ਸਿਖ ਹੋਇ ਜਾਵੈ ਤਸਿ ਕੀ ਜੜ੍ਹ੍ਹ੍ਹ ਹਰੀ ॥
His posterity will be ruined, and if a shaven one becomes Sikh, his descendants will flourish." Bhai Nand Lal Goya Tankahnama words of Guru Gobind Singh
, it is estimated that 80% of Sikh youths have cut their hair. Reasons include simple convenience — avoiding the daily combing and tying — as well as social pressures from the mainstream culture to look like everyone else.
In December 2006, a Sikh boy in Scotland
was reported to have been attacked by white racists who cut his hair. The story created widespread controversy until he admitted that he had lied and had, in fact, cut his own hair out of a desire to fit in.
of September 11, 2001, Sikh
s in the West have been mistaken for Muslim
s and subjected to hate crime
s. Balbir Singh Sodhi
, a Sikh living in Mesa, Arizona
, was shot to death on September 16, 2001 when he was mistaken for a Muslim.
In 2007, an 18-year old Pakistan
i teenager, Umair Ahmed, forcibly cut the hair of a 15-year-old Sikh boy Harpal Vacher in a US School. In 2008, he was convicted by the jury of "second-degree menacing as a hate crime, second-degree coercion as a hate crime, fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and third-degree harassment".
In 2009, Resham Singh, a Punjabi student in Melbourne, Australia, was attacked by a group of teenagers who tried to remove his turban and cut his hair.
In 2010, Basant Singh, a Sikh youth in Penang
, Malaysia woke up discovering his hair was cut by 50cm when he was asleep in his dormitory while serving the Malaysian National Service
Training Programme. The incident traumatised the youth and is under probe ordered by the Defence Ministry.
Sikhism
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded during the 15th century in the Punjab region, by Guru Nanak Dev and continued to progress with ten successive Sikh Gurus . It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world and one of the fastest-growing...
, Kesh (sometimes Kes) is the practice of allowing one's hair to grow naturally as a symbol of respect for the perfection of God's creation. The practice is one of the Five Ks, the outward symbols ordered by Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh is the tenth and last Sikh guru in a sacred lineage of ten Sikh gurus. Born in Patna, Bihar in India, he was also a warrior, poet and philosopher. He succeeded his father Guru Tegh Bahadur as the leader of Sikhs at a young age of nine...
in 1699 as a means to profess the Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
faith. The hair is combed twice daily with a Kanga
Kanga (Sikhism)
The Sikhs were commanded by Guru Gobind Singh at the Baisakhi Amrit Sanchar in 1699 to wear a small comb called a Kanga at all times. Kanga must be worn by all baptised Sikhs , after a mandatory religious commandment given by Guru Gobind Singh in AD 1699.This was one of five articles of faith,...
, 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
Turban
In English, Turban refers to several types of headwear popularly worn in the Middle East, North Africa, Punjab, Jamaica and Southwest Asia. A commonly used synonym is Pagri, the Indian word for turban.-Styles:...
.
Significance
Kesh is a symbol of devotion to god, reminding sikhs that they should obey the will of God.Kesh is considered the most important of the Five Ks. At the Amrit Sanchar in 1699, Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh is the tenth and last Sikh guru in a sacred lineage of ten Sikh gurus. Born in Patna, Bihar in India, he was also a warrior, poet and philosopher. He succeeded his father Guru Tegh Bahadur as the leader of Sikhs at a young age of nine...
explained the reason for this :
My Sikh shall not use the razorRazorA razor is a bladed tool primarily used in the removal of unwanted body hair through the act of shaving. Kinds of razors include straight razors, disposable razors and electric razors....
. For him the use of razor or shavingShavingShaving is the removal of hair, by using a razor or any other kind of bladed implement, to slice it down to the level of the skin. Shaving is most commonly practiced by men to remove their facial hair and by women to remove their leg and underarm hair...
the chin shall be as sinful as incest. For the KhalsaKhalsa+YouWebImagesVideosMapsNewsMailMoreTranslateFrom: ArabicTo: EnglishEnglishHindiEnglishAllow phonetic typingHindiEnglishArabicAssumptionGoogle Translate for Business:Translator ToolkitWebsite TranslatorGlobal Market Finder...
such a symbol is prescribed so that his Sikhs can classified as pure
So important is Kesh that during the persecution of Sikhs under the Mughal Empire
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
, followers were willing to face death rather than shave or cut their hair to disguise themselves or appease the Khan
Khan (title)
Khan is an originally Altaic and subsequently Central Asian title for a sovereign or military ruler, widely used by medieval nomadic Turko-Mongol tribes living to the north of China. 'Khan' is also seen as a title in the Xianbei confederation for their chief between 283 and 289...
. Bhai Taru Singh
Bhai Taru Singh
-Biography:Born in Punjab during the reign of the Mughal Empire, Bhai Taru Singh was raised as a Sikh by his widowed mother. During this time, Sikh revolutionaries were plotting the overthrow of the Zakaria Khan a merciless killer of the sikhs and hindus. Bhai Taru Singh and his sister gave food...
was executed for refusing to cut his hair as an offering to Zakaria Khan, the governor of Punjab
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
, in 1745. He became a martyr and a symbol of the importance of Kesh.
"ਬਚਨ ਹੈ ਸ੍ਰ੍ਰ੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਕਾ ਕਿ ਜੋ ਕੋਈ ਸਿਖ ਦਾ ਬੇਟਾ ਹੋਏੇ ਔੌਰ ਮੋਨਾ ਹੋਇ ਜਾਵੈ
This is the command of the Guru, that if the son of a Sikh shaves their head,
ਤਸਿ ਕੀ ਜੜ੍ਹ੍ਹ੍ਹ ਸ ਕੀ, ਔੌਰ ਜੋ ਮੋਨਾ ਸਿਖ ਹੋਇ ਜਾਵੈ ਤਸਿ ਕੀ ਜੜ੍ਹ੍ਹ੍ਹ ਹਰੀ ॥
His posterity will be ruined, and if a shaven one becomes Sikh, his descendants will flourish." Bhai Nand Lal Goya Tankahnama words of Guru Gobind Singh
Modern trends
In modern times the trend of short hair has encroached upon this tradition; in some parts of PunjabPunjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
, it is estimated that 80% of Sikh youths have cut their hair. Reasons include simple convenience — avoiding the daily combing and tying — as well as social pressures from the mainstream culture to look like everyone else.
In December 2006, a Sikh boy in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
was reported to have been attacked by white racists who cut his hair. The story created widespread controversy until he admitted that he had lied and had, in fact, cut his own hair out of a desire to fit in.
Harassment
After the attacksSeptember 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
of September 11, 2001, Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
s in the West have been mistaken for Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s and subjected to hate crime
Hate crime
In crime and law, hate crimes occur when a perpetrator targets a victim because of his or her perceived membership in a certain social group, usually defined by racial group, religion, sexual orientation, disability, class, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, gender identity, social status or...
s. Balbir Singh Sodhi
Balbir Singh Sodhi
Balbir Singh Sodhi , a gas station owner in Mesa, Arizona, was murdered in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks in the first of several cases across the United States that were reported to the police as acts of retaliation for the terrorist attacks...
, a Sikh living in Mesa, Arizona
Mesa, Arizona
According to the 2010 Census, the racial composition of Mesa was as follows:* White: 77.1% * Hispanic or Latino : 26.54%* Black or African American: 3.5%* Two or more races: 3.4%* Native American: 2.4%...
, was shot to death on September 16, 2001 when he was mistaken for a Muslim.
In 2007, an 18-year old Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
i teenager, Umair Ahmed, forcibly cut the hair of a 15-year-old Sikh boy Harpal Vacher in a US School. In 2008, he was convicted by the jury of "second-degree menacing as a hate crime, second-degree coercion as a hate crime, fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and third-degree harassment".
In 2009, Resham Singh, a Punjabi student in Melbourne, Australia, was attacked by a group of teenagers who tried to remove his turban and cut his hair.
In 2010, Basant Singh, a Sikh youth in Penang
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
, Malaysia woke up discovering his hair was cut by 50cm when he was asleep in his dormitory while serving the Malaysian National Service
Malaysian National Service
The National Service Training Programme, or Program Latihan Khidmat Negara , is Malaysia's national service program. The conscripts are 18-year-old youths that are selectively drafted...
Training Programme. The incident traumatised the youth and is under probe ordered by the Defence Ministry.