Bhagat Pooran Singh Ji - Some Bachans On Importance Of Kes And Dastaar

[Prabhjot Singh]

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh Guru Roop Sangat Jeo,

I was reading some articles by Bhagat Pooran Singh Ji when I came across these beautiful bachans that deeply moved me, perhaps because of their association with Bhagat Ji's own life, so thought I share the joy with you all The original text is in Gurmukhi, hope this translation does not take away the essence of Bhagat Ji's original words.

Some Bachans on importance of Kes and Dastaar

Sriman Bhagat Pooran Singh Ji

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I was born and raised in a Snatan Hindu family. All the monay people of our village used to wear turbans on their heads, and almost all Khatris and Brahmins kept long beards. My Hindu father Lala Sibboo Mall also kept long beard and used to tie a huge turban on his head. Before India’s partition, a prominent doctor of Lahore Dr. Beli Ram would walk around the streets advocating keeping of long beard for protection from throat infections during winter months.

I adopted the Sikh faith at the age of nineteen; that is when I started keeping Kes on my head. Before that my appearance was that of any other Hindu boy. I was born and raised in a village where the surrounding land was full of fields, and in fields one also finds Beri (a type of small fruit commonly found in Punjab’s countryside) trees. People often throw pebbles and stones to knock down these fruits from the high branches. Once I was sitting under one of the tress when suddenly a loose stone hit me in the head, which caused a huge gash near my forehead. Although I use to wear turban even in those days, maybe I was not wearing one on that day. Or perhaps I was, but barely a single layer of cloth covers the centre of the head, which is almost same as not having anything on head at all. It is the knotted Kes in the middle of the head that provide good protection against heavy objects.

The following incident is from year 1989: I was walking near Ghanta Ghar, Sri Darbar Sahib when suddenly, from a height of 50 feet, a double brick fell from Ghanta Ghar’s deordi and landed barely a foot away from me. If I was one foot closer, the brick would have surely struck me in the head, and I would not have survived. But with God’s grace I was saved that day. From that day onwards I started wearing Nihang Singh style tall dumalla, and people have starting assuming I am a Nihang Singh. In war, weapons of all sorts hit you, and in ordinary day-to-day life, people get attacked by sticks and the like, that is why adorning Dastaar on the head is very important.

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Dhanvaad for reading jeo!

Edited April 7, 2011 by Prabhjot Singh

[dalsingh101]

Thanks for sharing!

[ishvar2]

Thank you. Please share more if you are able.

[G.Kaur]

Thanks for sharing this.