Rumāl

Not to be confused with Chamba Rumal.

A rumāl (Punjabi: ਰੁਮਾਲ) is a piece of clothing similar to a handkerchief or bandana. It is worn by men who cut their hair and other guests when they are in a gurdwara. Covering the head is respectful in Sikhism and if a man is not wearing a turban, then a rumāl must be worn before entering the gurdwara. Rumāls are also worn by Sikh children on their topknot called joora, and by Sikh males while engaging in athletic activities.^[1]

Sikh boy wearing rumāl.

In most gurdwaras, there is often a basket of rumāls outside for welcoming in more guests. If there are no rumāls supplied by the gurdwara then a clean and plain handkerchief is the most suitable cloth to use.

Outside the context of Sikhism, a rumāl is simply the Urdu, Hindi, Nepali and Bengali word for handkerchief, and will be understood as such. Its association with Sikhism is not implied.

India field hockey players before the start of the match, 1967

See also

• Patka