Shangrai

[singh soormay]

WJKK WJKF

Wat is the purpose or meaning of a 'Shangrai'? Pardon the spelling.

http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/3228/shangraiwm5.png

shangrai.bmp

[singh soormay]

is no one replying because they dont know

[Guest peacemaker]

That very well could be.

[Mista Singh]

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh

From what i understand it is pronounced Singhar and Nihang Singhs wear it for a few reasons.

1. It is a boars tusk and this is worn as kind of a disrespect towards muselman as they think pigs are haram and they will stay away from the Singh who wears the Singhar.

and

2. It can also be used as a shaaster as it is very sharp and fits in the hand nicely.

This is what i have been told from Nihangs and Singhs who wear the Singhar but i think someone like Freed parji or a Nihang who uses the site may be able to give a more in depth reason.

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh

[singh soormay]

Thank u veer ji for dat

ill try to contact freed or sum1 else for any more information on singhar

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh

[caveman]

Re: Nihang Shingaar

In strict Nihang tradition only the most brave 'Great Warriors' wore a 'Soor Dand' shingaar in their Dastar.

It was a mark of one who hunted boars - which are very hard to hunt - as it requires a bullet through the heart - a direct hit - or the wounded highly agitated boar will charge straight at you - causing possible death.

The Shingaar was also the marker of a 'Bhangar' - those always in 'Mast' - ready to perform a 'Shaheedi Fera' - roughly translated as a 'Suicide Mission' - on the Battlefield. In other words the first on the battlefield, causing havoc and having a deep psychological effect on the enemy.

Nowadays the shingaar are just 'ornaments' - however many hold onto the old tradition - only those who have performed Great Sewa are given Shingaars to wear in their Dumallas or on their body (decorating Gatras etc) by their Jathedar. Some who do hunt boars, also wear them as 'hunting trophies'.

shinghars are given by a nihang to you or by your jathedar of the dal

It is common for a Nihang skilled in Shastar Vidya or some other skill to receive a Shingaar from his Jathedaar - however nowadays they are available and worn by many- but that is not the proper tradition.

There is another point of view about Shingaar mentioned in Amandeep Madra and Parmjit Singh's 'Siques Tigers or Thieves' - they make mention of practices observed by Polier "that would now be abhorrent" - where muslim 'converts' "are made to wear a boar's tusk as an amulet" they state these practices have no doctrinal roots and are unorthodox and could be a way of testing new recruits loyalty.They also quote Du perron and his claim that "senior Siks give them (muslim converts) food to eat, and all that they eat is stirred with a tooth of a wild boar"

(Siques,Tigers or Thieves - Palgrave Macmillan 2004 - introduction pgxxxii )

The authors stress this is all highly unusual and has not survived into modern times - they also make the point that the eating of pork and the tusks may just be a by-product of hunting wild boar.

^^^^^^^^^^^^FREED PAJI told me that

AKAAAAAAAALUH

[Revolutionary]

AKAAAAL!!! ^

[caveman]

:D