The Dumalla is a type of turban worn by Sikhs. This turban is worn mainly by Sikhs who are initiated into the Khalsa, through participating in the Amrit Sanchar but can be worn by all Sikhs. The word Dumalla means “Du” meaning two and “Malla” meaning cloth or fabric. This is because there will usually be one fabric to form the base of the turban and a second to wrap around the base to form the turban itself. There many different types of Dumalla, in many different sizes and colours.
The Dumalla style may trace its origin to Fateh Singh, the youngest son of Guru Gobind Singh.[1][2] The Dumalla itself was worn by many of the Sikh Gurus, thus many Sikhs also adopted the Dumalla. During the era of Mughal rule many Mughals would wear turbans as a crown to show they were of royal stature and was seen as a symbol of noble authority, whereas the poor and those who were not Muslim were not allowed to wear turbans, leading to oppression and inequality during the rule. Sikh Gurus, most notably starting with Guru Arjan Dev, seeing this took a stand against this and said “If the Mughals wear one turban, we will wear two” to show that they would stand against the oppression and tyranny of that age. Since then, Sikhs have been wearing the Dumalla as part of practicing their way of life.