Sometime back, I went to Amritsar sahib for a darshan of Sri Darbar Sahib. After the darshan, I took a tour of the city to visit other historic Gurdwaras. The car ride was a revelation as every street was proliferated with hair salons and new churches. The signboards of the hair salons and the advertised images in their show windows were brazen, ugly on your face type, and truly an eye sore. I have traveled all over India and quite a few countries around the world, but I have never seen such ugly signs outside hair salons anywhere. Now was seeing those in Amritsar, the holiest place for the Sikhs. Obviously, the salons are doing good business and were trying to attract clientele with their advertising. Suddenly I remembered that as a child we used to hear that the barbers in Amritsar were extremely poor, because of the lack of customers, that they went to Guru Ramdas Langar for food. Everybody had unshorn hair, their customers base was very shallow.
Obviously, the scenario has changed drastically and transformed beyond recognition. But this new reality was not just shocking alone, albeit it was painful as well. What has happened to my siblings, who always kept long unshorn hair?
Historical Perspective of Sikh Long Hair
If we look at all the religious and spiritual leaders irrespective of faith and geographical location, from the past we find that all of them had long unshorn hair. The founder of Sikhi Guru Nanak Dev Ji kept his hair unshorn and even asked Bhai Mardana, his close friend to keep hair. When Guru Ji started his first long journey (Uddassi) with his companion Mardana, they both were long haired with untrimmed beard. Guru Arjan Dev Ji describes God as:
ਨਿਰਹਾਰੀ ਕੇਸਵ ਨਿਰਵੈਰਾ ॥
Nirhaaree kesav nirvaeraa || (SGGS, Pg. No. 98)Translation: He does not need to eat; His Hair is Wondrous and Beautiful; He is free of hate.
We believe in formless God, so this portrait is a projection of the self-image. All the subsequent Gurus also kept long hair. The Tenth Master Guru Gobind Singh at the Vaisakhi of 1699, made it part of Sikh identity. Guru Ji at that time had declared that I would make my Sikh so unique in appearance that even if one in thousands, will be identifiable by the distinct appearance. The hair became cherished as Guru’s given gift. Kabir Ji has described God abiding within hair:
ਰੋਮ ਰੋਮ ਮਹਿ ਬਸਹਿ ਮੁਰਾਰਿ ॥
Rome rome meh baseh muraar. (SGGS, Pg. No. 344)Translation: On each and every hair, the God abides.
That brings back memories of Bhai Taru Singh, who belonged to Phula village in Amritsar District. He was born on 6th October 1720, in a farmer’s family. In his youth he was tilling the soil diligently and lived frugally. He was happy with his lot, with his savings, he and his sister used to help the Sikh brethren with food, who were forced into exile by government persecution. An informer named Harbhagat Niranjania, from Jandiala village informed Governor Zakaria Khan about his activities. Soon both he and his sister were arrested and taken to Lahore. His sister’s release was secured by the villagers by paying fine, but Bhai Taru Singh refused to seek a pardon with fine.
Zakaria Khan asked him to embrace Islam to save his life and give Khan his hair as an offering. His other option for non-compliance was death. Bhai Taru Singh said that hair was Guru’s gift so he cannot part with it. He refused the conversion option and said he could only give what belonged to him. So, he offered his scalp to the Governor who wanted his hair. A cobbler was called to execute the Governor’s orders. His scalp was removed but he did not die immediately. Finally, after 22 days, on 1st July 1745 he died, only after Governor Zakaria Khan’s death. His dead body was cremated outside Delhi Gate in Lahore. That place has a memorial called Shahid Ganj, which has become a memorial and a place of pilgrimage for Sikhs. His bravery and commitment to faith immortalized by a line in the Sikh prayer as an inspiration for faithful.
Now the Modern Reality
What we are witnessing today is stark drift from the historical reality and connection. Let us explore the factors:
- The tendency to fit in the society and to blend with the majority around them. Also, everyone wants to make a fashion statement with their hair style.
- Young mothers find upkeep of long hair for their children cumbersome and an unnecessary chore to their busy life. If the children don’t keep hair from their early life, it is exceedingly difficult to make that lifestyle change later.
- Some parents are cutting hair of their children because they were bullied in school.
- Some children are making that decision for themselves upon coming of age, even if that decision is not approved by their parents. The rationale or alibi being offered is that “it is my life, and this is how I wish to live it.”
- To Comply with the Job Grooming Requirements of the employers – Some jobs requirements stipulate such a mandate. Not trying to get into the rationale or necessity of such job requirements but suffice to say that sometimes it becomes a convenient route instead of challenging it and trying to get it amended.
- Emulating after the role models – In the world where the icons of movies, singers, social media, sports personalities are idolized, it is exceedingly rare to find a Sikh role model complete with hair and turban. The blind aping by the young, aspiring, and growing minds of the grooming styles, rich and famous whose images are all over the media results in discarding of unshorn hair to look like their favorite idol.
- Peer Pressure – Many times the child succumbs to the peer pressure or bulling because the kid with unshorn hair looks different from the other kids. So, his/her friends circle exert pressure on them to comply with current social trends.
- Bride Pressure – Some brides would want their grooms to be shaved.
- There was a time when mothers lovingly caressed their children’s long hair while combing and reminded the child that it was their Guru’s gift. But today, the would be mothers are choosing the opposite route even in their spouse so the fate of children is sealed beforehand -everyone will be with shorn hair.
- Lure of going abroad and the mental impression that there, one is not required to adhere to unshorn hair practice.
- Feeling freedom from taking care of long hair, washing, combing, tying a hair knot, and then turban on top of it.
This is not a complete list of all the causes, rather just a beginning on the malice that is running deep and eroding the unique identity. We have seen that workplace pressures, society, friends circle pressure, and in some cases even family pressure to conform with rest who have shorn hair have all contributed to the trend. The societal bias can be seen from the term “clean shaven,” coined to define a person who has removed his facial hair. What is being conveyed with such a term is that unshaven equals unclean. The prejudices and the implications behind such a term are blatant and obvious.
Unfortunately, social biases should not become a challenge in society. Even the adherents should not be looking for an excuse to not comply with the Guru’s given gift of unshorn hair. The example of Bhai Taru Singh should be an inspiration for every Sikh to look up to. Guru Gobind Singh gave us a unique dress code so that the identity is unique, open, and visible. But if in the name of convenience, bullying, peer pressure, bride pre-requisite, job requirements, going abroad, fashion etc. we feel challenged, then the option is to challenge those existing norms. Succumbing to the pressures will be like volunteering to be the scape goat. Our Gurus has made us into lions, and princesses, who define the norms and not who just succumb and comply to those.
Gurbani Evidence
There are many quotes in Gurbani where we find mention of long hair or the beard. But just two quotes by Guru Arjan Ji will suffice for now, where we find quite unconventional and reverential usage of hair is mentioned:
ਕੇਸ ਸੰਗਿ ਦਾਸ ਪਗ ਝਾਰਉ ਇਹੈ ਮਨੋਰਥ ਮੋਰ ॥੧॥
Kes sung dhaas pag jhaarau ihai manorath mor ||1|| (SGGS, Pg. No. 500)
Translation: With my hair, I wash the feet of Your slave; this is my life's purpose. ||1||
ਨੈਨਹੁ ਸੰਗਿ ਸੰਤਨ ਕੀ ਸੇਵਾ ਚਰਨ ਝਾਰੀ ਕੇਸਾਇਓ ॥
Nainahu sung santan kee sevaa charan jhaaree kesaio || (SGGS, Pg. No. 1217)
Translation: (O God! Bless me so that) With my eyes I have darshan of the Saints and dedicate myself to serving them; I wash their feet with my hair.
If our Gurus found a unique usage of their hair, obviously they kept unshorn hair in their lives and have found its usefulness in cultivating humility and building a relationship of reverence. If we could also cultivate these two virtues, we would find ourselves getting closer to that Supreme entity who has endowed humans with hair. Let us honor the Guru’s gift and become strong in our conviction and faith as Bhai Taru Singh. Let us make the words of Ardas “Sikhi Kesan swasa naal nibaahee” a lasting legacy.
The elders at home are the first inspiration that young like to emulate and always try being like them. In earlier times joint families were under one roof from grandparents to grandkids, who exercised a significant moral influence on the younger. But these days with nuclear families and single parents, the grandparents influence has disappeared, or it is really minimal. Now it is more of a mother’s role to provide spiritual bearings to their children. Also, having the father in full Sikhi sends the right message to the children. It is time that the parents woke up and took their children’s grooming needs more passionately, and we will be seeing its dramatic impact in reversing the trend.
This long unshorn hair has been the Sikh collective legacy; it is under threat and needs nurturing to bring it. The benefit will be that besides being our cultural identity, it will help forge an emotional attachment to them and a connection with Almighty. One small way to bolster the connection is every night before bedtime becomes an inspiring story time instead of TV or any other digital prop which we use to ask, “entertain me.” Let us become the change we want to see in our family and our community. When everyone family starts doing it we will see its colossal impact in our collective society.
