An Event That Lead To The Turban

It was today, 339 years ago, that Guru Tegh Bahadur, the 9th Guru of the Sikhs displayed an act that no other prophet had ever done. He sacrificed his life to protect the right of any individual to practice a faith of his choice and to not be pressurized into conversion. His was a sacrifice to protect the right of Hindu Pandits of Kashmir to be allowed to wear Janeau (sacred thread) and Tilak (marking on forehead), even though the tenets of Tegh Bahadur’s own belief laid no importance on these articles of faith.

Background to Guru Tegh Bahadur’s sacrifice : The Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb was on a mad rush to convert entire India to the faith that he followed, and if this meant the people had to be deprived of religious freedom, then so be it. The only choice in front of the people was to convert or loose one’s life! Under Aurangzeb’s order, the viceroy of Kashmir, Iftikhar Khan (1671–1675) carried out the policy vigorously.

A group of Kashmiri Hindu Pandits, approached Guru Tegh Bahadur in Punjab for help. On his advice, they were told to tell Aurangzeb that they would willingly convert if Tegh Bahadur could be convinced of adopt Islam. Under Aurangzeb’s orders, he was arrested in July 1675 and kept in an iron cage in Delhi for over three months, till November 1675. To break his spirit, he was tortured immensely.

To instill the highest element of fear, in front of his eyes, his three disciples were tortured to death in a most inhuman manner. Bhai Sati Das was wrapped in cotton and set to fire. Bhai Mati Das was tied to two poles and sawn alive in two parts, from his head to loin. Bhai Dayala was boiled alive in a cauldron full of water.

Guru Tegh Bahadur’s spirit to stand firm for the cause of freedom could not be weakened and when Aurangzeb failed to persuade him to abandon his faith, he was finally beheaded in public at Chandni Chowk on 24 November 1675.

This event changed the history of Sikhs, as thereafter the community adopted the Turban as a visible sign of defiance against tyranny of the rule. To Sikhs, the turban became a visual display of their internal steadfastness.

At the festive season of Holla Mohalla at Anandpur Sahib, I turned my camera to capture the variety of turbans worn by the Sikhs.

Source: amardeepphotography.com