Posters and artistic renditions of the Gurus depict Guru Nanak’s garb somewhere obscuring his religious identity whereas Guru Gobind’s stately attire makes him stand out.
This article explores the significant change in the attire of the Sikh gurus from the first Sikh Guru Nanak to Guru Gobind Singh, the last living Sikh Guru.
When Nanak decided to undertake his spiritual journey, he deliberately took up an attire that diluted his religious identity. It aligned with the message he was to convey: there is no one path to truth, neither Hindu nor Muslim. He wanted to spread the message of universal brotherhood.
The tenth Sikh guru’s clothing was meant to make his Sikhs exceptionally visible. During the festival of Vaisakhi, he bestowed the Khalsa identity upon the Sikhs. Guru Gobind Sahib gave the Sikhs a physical identity when he created the Khalsa. The word "Khalsa" has several literal meanings, including "pure," "free," and "belonging to the sovereign". By giving the Sikhs this distinct identity, Guru Sahib not only wanted to make them stand out from the outside but also within.
Haroon Khalid’s visit to Nankana Sahib
He recounts the memory of a visit he made to Nankana Sahib on Nanak Jayanti 10 years ago. He recalls a giant banner hung at the entrance to Gurdwara Janamastham, which was built on the site where the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak was born.
The banner depicted an image of Nanak holding up his right hand in blessing. He wore a saffron robe and a thick white beard. A brown shawl draped his shoulders, and he wore a turban tied in the simple Dumalla style.
This image of Nanak is ubiquitous. There is no way to know for sure if Nanak dressed like that. There was a controversy regarding his depiction in California school textbooks in 2006. In these texts, the image depicted is a 19th century painting of Guru Nanak wearing a crown and what looks like a somewhat cropped beard.
This image of Nanak was criticized as being an Islamicized version. The image was removed following a backlash from the Sikh community. It is difficult to determine what Nanak wore or what kind of beard he kept.
The Attire of Guru Nanak
A narrative suggests Nanak deliberately chose a garb that would prevent people from associating him with any specific religion.
Nanak wore a long robe -a loose choga, similar to those worn by Muslim dervishes. Instead of green, his robe was ochre, the color preferred by of Hindu ascetics(sanyasis). He wore a white cloth belt around his waist, similar to a faqir (a Sufi ascetic), and a short turban covering his head, similar to a Qalandar. The wooden sandals he wore were popular among devotees of all faiths.
Guru Nanak spread the message of universal brotherhood- Sarbat da Bhalla, that everybody was equal in the eyes of God irrespective of his religion, caste, color, creed, and sex. Nanak's clothes may have been an extension of his message, which saw the truth as a synthesis of all religious philosophies, syncretism, and the dilution of rigid religious identity.
The Attire of the tenth Sikh Guru
On the other end of the banner was a depiction of Gobind Singh, who is considered to have completed Nanak's spiritual movement. In the artistic rendering, he is shown gazing into the horizon while holding a white falcon in his left hand. He wears a bejeweled turban, several necklaces, and a bow over his shoulder. His beard, slightly shorter than Nanak’s, is jet black.
The attire of the tenth Sikh was to make him stand out. Sikh identity was institutionalized by him through the Khalsa. Although the two images cannot be more different, they are both parts of the same tradition. Every guru that followed Nanak carried the essence of the first Guru within him. In the process, they too became Nanak, which is how they are referred to in the Guru Granth Sahib, the living guru.
The question that is yet to be answered is how the image of Nanak with his simple attire transformed into the grandeur and magnificence of Gobind Singh.
There are eight Sikh Gurus between Nanak and Gobind Singh that hold the key to this transformation. During the 239 years that covered the lives of these 10 Sikh gurus, external historical realities transformed the institution of the guru.
The process of transformation
At the time of Nanak's death, his followers were few and geographically dispersed. The number of followers and the Guru's political influence increased with each subsequent Guru. All Gurus after Nanak faced rivals, some of whom were the sons of the previous Gurus.
The fifth guru, Guru Arjan, was executed after a tussle broke out. He was executed on the orders of Emperor Jahangir by Arjan's brother Prithi Chan, who wanted to take over the institution of the Guru.
During this period, the Guru institution was most vulnerable. How could a band of unarmed devotees fight against the powerful Mughal empire? At this time emerged the sixth Sikh guru, Guru Hargobind Singh Ji, the son of Guru Arjan.
While he was a Guru, an elaborate turban replaced the simple headgear worn by the previous gurus. The bejeweled turban was intended to be a crown. Hargobind wore necklaces made of precious stones, and he carried two swords at his waist. It was the first time a Sikh guru took a weapon. He declared that the two swords signified "Miri" and "Piri", "Temporal Power" and "Spiritual Power". One would deliver a powerful blow to the oppressor and the other would protect the innocent. He told his followers: "In the Guru's house spiritual and temporal powers shall be combined". "My rosary shall be the sword belt and on my dastar, I shall wear a kalgi". A kalgi is an ornament for the dastar, which at the time was worn by Mughal and Hindu rulers.
He sat on the Akal Takht or the Eternal Throne and his followers called him the ‘Sacha Padshah’. Although Jahangir was the emperor of the Mughal empire, Hargobind was their true king.
The transition from the simple clothing of Nanak, Angad Dev, Amar Das, Ram Das, and Arjan to the regal and elaborate attire of Hargobind is quite evident in religious posters. In addition to transforming the institution of the guru, Arjan's execution also marked the beginning of contentious relations between the Mughals and the Gurus. Several decades later, Emperor Aurangzeb executed Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru.
Hargobind Singh's grandson, Gobind Singh, became the tenth Sikh guru during this time. It was a turbulent time for the Sikh community when Gobind Singh became its leader. Injustice, oppression, and exploitation were the order of the day. Guru Sahib realized that a defensive military stance and weaponry were required to fight this.
This could be the possible reason he chose to model his attire on Guru Hargobind's regal style, and as in the depiction he can be seen dressed in finery, adorned with fine jewelry, sporting a kalgi on his richly embellished turban with a sword on his hip and bow and arrows on his back, indeed a perfect portrait of the spiritual and martial leader of the Sikhs.
*Based on an article by Haroon Khalid Published January 24, 2019, in the Dawn