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Summary of Question:	Head Band,Hoods And Hat?
Category:	Turban
Date Posted:	Thursday, 11/07/2002 4:49 PM MST

gur fateh

is it ok to wear a hat that doesnt close from the top like if i wore the hat u could see my jura its like the hat some golfers wear i think their called visors

and is it ok to wear hoods
and head bands??????

gur fateh

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REPLY
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Sat Siri Akaal. I cannot tell whether you are male or female. Many Sikh women do not feel a need to cover their head or wear their hair up, so WHAT they cover their head with seems to be more loosely interpreted. 10th Master did not give turbans to men ONLY. Frankly,though if you don't want to wear a turban or patka and look like a Sikh, then it doesn't matter what you wear on your head; hats, hoods, visors or bands.

There is a general Sikh belief that one ONLY wears patka/turban or chuni on one's head. If one is amritdhari, then the turban is the only thing one should wear on one's head. But I have seen in the western USA, where the high desert sun can fry one in an hour, a visor worn OVER the turban can help shield the face and eyes. It really is a face cover not a head cover. I'm Amritdhari and I use one otherwise I would get skin cancer from the high altitude sun where I live. So folks like me cannot be fanatic about wearing things other than turbans on one's head. Hoods over a turban (they are usually attached to coats) are useful in extreme weather, and of course in some specialized industries, one must wear full, protective head covering to keep from being contaminated by chemicals or other hazardous materials.

We should not be fanatic about whether we wear other things on our heads when the weather or special circumstances clearly mandate it. Fanaticism in any religion only leads to demise. Sikhi gives us a code of conduct; it is up to the individual Sikh what choices or vows he/she makes to live that code.
Guru ang sang
-DKK