Previous

Next

Ask a Question

Summary of Question:	Dashtar Off Ever?
Category:	Sikh Practices
Date Posted:	Wednesday, 12/11/2002 11:22 PM MST

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa

Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh

When you take amrit, do you always have to keep your keskee on? I mean im a female and i wear a dastar, but like sometimes my head gets really hot and i just wanna take off my dastar, but then i don wanna. Like when your sleepn do u have to sleep with your dastar. And my head feels so heavy and what if you need to itch, what da heck are you supposed to do??!!

*************
REPLY
***********
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh! Good question. I know Amritdhari Sikhs who never remove their keski unless it's to comb or wash their hair, period. I know just as many who take the turban/dashtar off in the privacy of home, and braid or tie their hair down (off the top of their head) for sleeping. I myself am like you and need to give my ears and head a break, as you describe. The hair/head needs to have fresh air now and then. Some men will limit headcoverings to a really basic or lightweight 'house' turban for in the house and/or sleeping. It seems to be how one interprets this part of Guru's rehit. We don't know if Guru said wear dashtar ALL the time (100%). But we do know that Guru wanted us to be seen in public in the bana of dashtar, because he gave us an identity specific to Sikhs. So,part of our path is to be SEEN as Sikh. One always knows a Sikh by their (style of) turban.

BTW, when you put your hair up, as a woman you should NOT be wearing your hair forward on the head (so it's on top close to the crownline) the way Sikh men do. Men tie their hair there because it activates the male solar center located there. Women have solar centers on the exact top and also a bit to the back of top surface of the head, so this is where the hair should be knotted. Practically speaking, if you have a LOT of hair, the only place a woman can wear it and not hurt her neck is in the exact top of her head. It is not good for a woman's energy to have her hair tied on her head like a Sikh man, which is what I see many dashtar-wearing women do.
guru ang sang,
-DKK