Women in Sikhism.

"They are not said to be husband and wife, who merely sit together. Rather they alone are called husband and wife, who have one soul in two bodies." (Guru Amar Das, Pauri, pg. 788)   A scene from a bustling market place.

Sardarni Sada Kaur - Wife of Gurbakhsh Singh Sardar of the Kanhaiya Misl - fought in battle against Ranjit Singh - though eventually sought an alliance by marrying her daughter to Ranjit Singh. It is said that see was the power behind the throne and that she "was the ladder by which Ranjit singh reached the Summit of power"   Rani Chand Kaur - daughter of Jaimal Singh Kanhaya - married to Maharaja Kharrak Singh , mother of Kanwar Nau Nihal Singh

Warriors leaving their spouses as they prepare to go to war.   A scene depicting the mourning of Maharaja Ranjit singh

Sikh women as with their male counterparts had to be prepared for battle and many trained alongside their men folk in the art of war.   Training was given in the intricacies of swordsmanship as well as archery.

The women’s costume both in the rural and urban Punjab has been Suthan Jhaga or Shalwar-Kameez for over a century. In spite of various changes in fashion, this attire has not only survived but has now been universally adopted by Indian women of all age-groups throughout the country. The chuni or the head cover, which goes along with the dress, is the most graceful part of the costume.

The Punjabi women were particularly known to be fastidious about their personal appearance. They used traditional cosmetics and beauty aids for their hair, eyelids, eyebrows, teeth, lips and hands. For their face, they used a kind of pomade made of orange peels ground fine upon a stone and mixed with besan or a paste of wheat flour mixed with butter, cream and ghee. The use of kajal beautified their eyes. There is an amusing couplet about it: ‘Kinwain pavan main akhian ch kajala, ke akhian ch tu wasda’. (How can I put kajal in my eyes because you are already residing there).

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