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Summary of Question:	Wearing A Gold Kara?
Category:	Sikh Practices
Date Posted:	Saturday, 5/29/2004 7:37 PM MDT

hi.i just wanted to ask if there was anything wrong with wearing a gold kara. i recently bought one and i am wearing that instead of the silver one.my dad said to me that once some one told him that it isnt the correct thing to do so he stopped wearing his one and he now wears a silver one.so can u please let me if it is okay or whether it is wrong.can u please respond to me by email if this question isnt posted

thankyou

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reply
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Sat Siri Akaal. In Guru's times, the karas were made of iron. When Guru gave us the rehit, the karas then were iron. With the development of stainless steel in the last century, karas have been made with steel, although some are a mix of steel and nickel sulphate. (Steel is made with iron ore.) Some people are allergic to the steel/nickel karas and get skin rashes from them, and are unable to tell the difference between all steel and steel blend karas. I think that's one reason we see gold and silver (sterling) karas more.

I think the other reason we see gold and sterling karas is related to status issues somehow, since a gold kara means one has the ability to pay for it. That said, I have never seen it specified that the kara absolutely must be steel or iron. Another point, steel and iron are much harder than gold or silver. In the sant-sapahi thinking, a kara would be steel or iron (like one's kirpan or khanda), gold and silver damage much more easily in battle in and in everyday use. Guru ang sang,
-DKK