patka | American Turban

Sikh boys refused entry to a go-karting attraction in Livermore, California, because they were wearing patkas. (Source: Sikh24)

No-karting for Sikh boys in CA

August 13, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

In late July, at a theme park in Livermore, California (called Boomer’s Parks), several Sikh boys wearing patkas (a version of a turban for young Sikh boys) were not permitted to ride on go-karts because the owners of the attraction, Palace Entertainment, have a strict policy prohibiting loose hair or any kind of head-covering: “We’ve had a safety policy in place for quite some time at all our parks that prohibits hats, baseball caps, Yarmulkes,” [Palace Entertainment spokesperson Michele Wischmeyer] […]

Categories: Civil Rights • Tags: AMC Theatres, Boomer's Parks, California, Kirpan, Livermore, Palace Entertainment, patka, Turban

"How Do You Tie A Patka?" brochure from Little Sikhs and the Sikh Coalition. (Source: Sikh Coalition)

How to tie a patka

August 8, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Little Sikhs and the Sikh Coalition have released a new brochure with instructions on how to tie a patka, a typical turban for young Sikh boys. This would have been helpful for my kindergarten teacher, who, when my patka once came off while playing in class, had no idea how to retie it on my head. My mother later gave a modified head covering to my teacher in case such an instance happened to me again, but I would imagine […]

Categories: Education, Sikhism • Tags: Keerat Kaur, Little Sikhs, patka, Saffron Press, Sikh Coalition, Turban

For I have seen the patka on your soul

February 26, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Making its way through social media today is a website called Patka Spotting. According to the website: Patka Spotting was created for the sole purpose to shout out all the guys in our community who are just too old to be wearing children’s patka’s around and about. A patka is the head-covering commonly worn by Sikh children — mainly boys — before they adopt the full turban as adults. Much like a bandana, a patka is a small piece of […]

Categories: Reflections • Tags: bullying, patka, Patka Spotting, Turban

Saffron Press’s “How to tie a patka (dastaar)”

October 25, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

The patka is a headcovering worn as a turban by young Sikh boys. Saffron Press, the publisher of A Lion’s Mane and Dreams of Hope, just released the video above to educate children about the patka and demonstrate how it is tied. I transitioned from a patka to a full turban when I was 16 years old (I still wear one when I play sports). The video – which is excellent work – reminded me of my younger days when I was […]

Categories: Reflections, Resources • Tags: A Lion's Mane, Dreams of Hope, patka, Saffron Press, school, Turban

On Dastaar Bandhi

December 23, 2010 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Recent articles by the respected I.J. Singh on sikhchic.com discussed dastaar bandhi (“turban tying”) – the ceremony Sikh boys go through when they wear their first full turban. As he describes, in many ways dastaar bandhi is a “coming of age” ceremony. I.J. Singh’s first essay recounts a ceremony that he witnessed and discusses the significance of the Sikh turban: One way then is to look at the turban is as a crown on a Sikh’s head. History teaches us that Sikhs would rather lose a head […]

Categories: Reflections, Sikhism • Tags: dastaar bandhi, dastar bandi, I.J. Singh, pagri, patka, Turban