Kesh (Sikhism)

A Sikh man wearing a dastar to cover his hair
A Sikh boy wearing a Rumal

In Sikhism, Kesh (sometimes Kes) is the practice of allowing one's hair to grow naturally as a symbol of respect for the perfection of God's creation. The practice is one of the Five Ks, the outward symbols ordered by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699 as a means to profess the Sikh faith. The hair is combed twice daily with a Kanga, another of the Five Ks, and tied into a simple knot known as a Joora or Rishi knot. This knot of hair is usually held in place with the Kanga and covered by a turban.

Significance

Kesh is a symbol of devotion to God, reminding Sikhs that they should obey the will of God. At the Amrit Sanchar in 1699, Guru Gobind Singh explained the reason for this:

My Sikh shall not use the razor. For him the use of razor or shaving the chin shall be as sinful as incest. For the Khalsa such a symbol is prescribed so that his Sikhs can be classified as pure

Also, by not cutting hair, Sikhs honor gods gift of hair. Kesh combined with the combing of hair using a kangha shows respect for God and all of his gifts. So important is Kesh that during the persecution of Sikhs under the Mughal Empire, followers were willing to face death rather than shave or cut their hair to disguise themselves or appease the Khan.[1]

Modern trend

A Sikh boy wearing a patka

In modern times the trend of short hair has encroached upon this tradition. It is estimated that half of India's Sikh men have abandoned the turban and cut their hair. Reasons include simple convenience (avoiding the daily combing and tying), because their parents cut their hair and they decided to get their hair cut as well, and social pressure from the mainstream culture to adjust their appearance to fit the norm.[2][3]

Harassment

After the attacks of September 11, 2001, Sikhs in the West have been mistaken for Muslims and subjected to hate crimes. Balbir Singh Sodhi, a Sikh living in Mesa, Arizona, was shot to death on September 16, 2001 when he was mistaken for a Muslim.[4]

In 2007, an 18-year-old Pakistani, Umair Ahmed, forcibly cut the hair of a 15-year-old Sikh boy Harpal Vacher in a US school. In 2008, he was convicted by the jury of "second-degree menacing as a hate crime, second-degree coercion as a hate crime, fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and third-degree harassment."[5]

In 2009, Resham Singh, a Punjabi student in Melbourne, Australia, was attacked by a group of teenagers who tried to remove his turban and cut his hair.[6]

In 2010, Basant Singh, a Sikh youth in Penang, Malaysia woke up discovering his hair was cut by 50 cm when he was asleep in his dormitory while serving the Malaysian National Service Training Programme. The incident traumatised the youth and is under probe ordered by the Defense Ministry.[7]

In September 2012 a member of reddit uploaded a picture of Balpreet Kaur, a young Sikh woman, mocking her facial hair. She responded in a calm manner, explaining the reason behind her appearance and the original poster apologized. It then went viral.[8]

Health Benefits

Uncut beards can prevent skin cancer with an estimated 90 to 95 percent of protection against harmful Ultraviolet rays. A study conducted at the University of Southern Queensland in Australia, published in the journal Radiation Protection Dosimetry, examined the effectiveness of facial hair in protecting against UV rays through dosimetry — the measurement and calculation of the absorbed amount of radiation using both direct and indirect exposure. The findings of the study confirm that the longer the hair, the better coverage, which means higher protection. [9][10]

References

External links


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