Jamshedpur Youth celebrates Mother Language Day in style

Jamshedpur, Feb 20: On the eve of International Mother Language Day, city-based turbanator Raajkamal Jeet Singh has tied a special turban with 35 alphabets of Gurumukhi printed on it. He took six hours to complete art-work.

Sharing his experiences, he said that International Mother Language Day is celebrated each year on February 21 to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and to promote multilingualism. “My objective is not only to motivate youths to tie a turban but also inspire them to learn and use their mother language in everyday work. I am happy that I am getting a good response,” said Singh.

He went on to add that the turban is perhaps the most distinctive symbol of Sikhism. As per the five principles of the faith, followers are supposed to keep their hair uncut and protect it in a turban.  The turban itself has evolved over the years, taking on several forms, from Amritsari to Patiala-shahi, to accommodate fashion as well as comfort.

“I just keep experimenting with my turban. From top to bottom one layer at a time just like you would lay the storeys of a building. On the rare times I don’t have my turban on I keep getting this feeling of being incomplete, that some part of me is missing. I get afraid that I may fall and I keep wondering “have I lost something, where is my turban?”

Sharing his journey so far, Singh said: “I developed keen interest in tying a turban when I was very young. Every day after school hours, I used my mother’s scarf as a turban. Subsequently, after learning the skill, I started tying my father’s turban. My parents were impressed with my efforts. Since then I have participated in many competitions and won several awards.”

While he aspires to set up his own turban training academy in future, he has won several competitions and other special awards in various events.

He noted that Guru Gobind Singh bestowed the crown of turban on the head of his Khalsa. The revered guru sacrificed his whole family to give awe-inspiring recognition and respectability to the Sikhs with new unique form and physique, principles and code of conduct. With long flowing beard, profuse manly moustaches, superb saintly hair and impressive kingly turban, the shape and glamour of a Sikh became knightly and his mental psyche and self-will turned steely. A devout Sikh could get his head chopped off smilingly but would never allow anybody maliciously touching his turban for which he always possesses utmost reverence, veneration and esteem.