Divinity Atlas

Sacred Correspondences
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A Deliberately Plain Comb, and Why It Carries No Ornament

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A Deliberately Plain Comb, and Why It Carries No Ornament

A kangha is a small wooden comb, sized to be tucked into the hair itself rather than carried separately, and its plainness is not an accident of low cost, Sikh teaching around the Five Ks generally favors function over decoration, and an unadorned comb fits that principle the way a plain steel kara does.

Material and makers

Traditional kanghas are cut and finished from a single piece of wood, historically produced by small artisan workshops in Punjab rather than by specialist religious craftsmen, since the object requires woodworking skill rather than any ritual expertise to make. Modern kanghas are sold cheaply and widely, and there is no restriction on manufacture or sale.

Its paired purpose, and its upkeep

A kangha exists specifically to keep the uncut hair, kesh, clean and orderly, and a baptized Sikh is expected to use one at least twice daily as part of maintaining that hair rather than leaving it unkempt, which is why the two articles of faith are always discussed together. A worn or broken kangha is simply replaced, there is no special disposal custom for the object itself, though it is treated with the ordinary respect given to any article of faith rather than discarded carelessly.

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