A rumāl ( Punjabi: ਰੁਮਾਲ) is a piece of clothing similar to a

handkerchief A handkerchief (; also called a hankie or, historically, a handkercher or a ) is a form of a kerchief or bandanna, typically a hemmed square of thin fabric which can be carried in the pocket or handbag for personal hygiene purposes such as ...

bandana A kerchief (from the Old French ''couvrechief'', "cover head"), also known as a bandana, bandanna, or "Wild Rag" (in cowboy culture), is a triangular or square piece of cloth tied around the head, face or neck for protective or decorative purp ...

. It is worn by men who cut their hair and other guests when they are in a

Gurdwara A gurdwara (sometimes written as gurudwara) ( Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ''guradu'ārā'', meaning "Door to the Guru") is a place of assembly and worship for Sikhs. Sikhs also refer to gurdwaras as ''Gurdwara Sahib''. People from all fait ...

. Covering the head is respectful in

Sikhism Sikhism (), also known as Sikhi ( pa, ਸਿੱਖੀ ', , from pa, ਸਿੱਖ, lit=disciple', 'seeker', or 'learner, translit= Sikh, label=none),''Sikhism'' (commonly known as ''Sikhī'') originated from the word ''Sikh'', which comes fr ...

and if a man is not wearing a

turban A turban (from Persian language, Persian دولبند‌, ''dulband''; via Middle French ''turbant'') is a type of headwear based on cloth winding. Featuring many variations, it is worn as customary headwear by people of various cultures. Commun ...

, then a rumāl must be worn before entering the Gurdwara. Rumāls are also worn by Sikh children on their

topknot Topknot may refer to: * A hairstyle or haircut, historically prevalent in Asia: ** Chonmage, a traditional Japanese haircut worn by men ** Sangtu, a knot of hair that married men of the Joseon Dynasty wore in Korea ** Touji (頭髻), a traditional ...

, and by Sikh males while engaging in athletic activities. 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 Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of North India, northern, Central India, centr ...

Nepali Nepali or Nepalese may refer to : Concerning Nepal * Anything of, from, or related to Nepal * Nepali people, citizens of Nepal * Nepali language, an Indo-Aryan language found in Nepal, the current official national language and a language spoken ...

and

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the ...

word for handkerchief, and will be understood as such. Its association with Sikhism is not implied. The rumāl was used by the

Thugee Thuggee (, ) are actions and crimes carried out by Thugs, historically, organised gangs of professional robbers and murderers in India. The English word ''thug'' traces its roots to the Hindi ठग (), which means 'swindler' or 'deceiver'. Rela ...

s in India as a method of strangulation. A coin was knotted in one end of the scarf, and would be swung around the neck of the victim, who would then be strangled. In the 1970s television series ''

Dad's Army ''Dad's Army'' is a British television British sitcom, sitcom about the United Kingdom's Home Guard (United Kingdom), Home Guard during the World War II, Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft (TV producer), David Crof ...

'', Corporal Jones attempts to strangle Captain Ramsey with such a rumāl in the episode "

We Know Our Onions "We Know Our Onions" is the fourth episode of the sixth series of the British comedy series '' Dad's Army''. It was originally transmitted on 21 November 1973. Synopsis The platoon take part in a Home Guard efficiency test. If the men pass wit ...

References

Sikh religious clothing Punjabi words and phrases Indian clothing {{Sikhism-stub