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.”
Sikh Unity ਸਿੱਖ ਏਕਤਾ 