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04/16/2007

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Sunday, April 15, 2007 - NEW DELHI: It was a beauty pageant with a difference. Young Sikh men and women were eligible to contest only on condition that they had never cut their hair - a step by the community to stem a worrying trend among youngsters to chop off their hair.

And the contestants - ranging from students, businessmen, airhostesses and Delhi Police officers - had to undergo a week's prior training on the Punjabi language, Sikh history and culture, on walking the ramp, doing the bhangra and on style.



The 'Mr. Singh and Ms. Kaur of the year' event organised by Ayur beauty products in the capital late Saturday began with the Sikh religious chant "Vahe guru ji da Khalsa, vahe guru ji da fateh".

The young men had to wear turbans and maintain uncut beards while the girls were not allowed to sport coloured hair. All were required to have some knowledge of the Sikh religious scriptures.




(From left) Mr Singh India 2007 winners Gurubakshish Singh (1st runner-up), Gurtej Singh (winner) and Manjit Singh (2nd runner-up) pose for the camera on Saturday. The trio was among the 25 finalists who vied for the title


"We want to promote our culture by organising such events as Sikh boys chop their hair to get into the glamour industry," said Dilvinder Singh Ayur, owner of Ayur beauty products, explaining the purpose of holding the show.

"Our religion believes in five things - kes (uncut hair), kangha (comb), kara (steel bangle), kirpan (sword or knife) and kachcha (special breeches or undergarments) - so we want our children to follow the same," she added.

A total of 17 men and 14 women were selected after preliminary screening. The contestants were aged between 18 and 28.

The event, organised to celebrate the Vaisakhi festival, began with a 'kirtan' or religious songs and everyone present was asked to cover their heads till it lasted.

The Punjabi community was present in large numbers to enjoy the show, dressed in their traditional best.

Contestants, dressed like Punjabi brides and grooms, who made it to the second round were asked to speak on Sikhism for a minute.




For the five men and women each selected for the third and final round, it was tough going as they were thoroughly grilled on Sikh history.

But for the winners, Lakhmir Singh from Kurkushetra, Haryana, and Harmeet Kaur from Delhi, it was a cakewalk as they had come fully prepared.

After the contest, Lakhmir Singh said, "It's painful to see Sikh boys cutting their hair. I will work to promote my culture and persuade others to adhere to the religion."




"I am a student of masters of business administration (MBA) and will try to ensure that our culture is promoted through the corporate world," a jubilant Kaur said.

Another contestant, Hardeep Singh, 26, said he felt Sikhs had not got their due in Bollywood. "Sardars are always shown as jokers and comedians in films," he said. "We want to show the world what we have to offer," he said.




The contest drew participants from other cities too, like Mumbai and Dehradun.

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