Information on the significance of a Sikh who has a tattoo on his right hand saying "EK ONKAR", meaning "God is One", and whether such a tattoo has a religious/political implication and is associated with any particular group or factions of a group [IND11085]

Each chapter of the Sikh sacred book, the Adi Granth, begins with the invocation "EK ONKAR SATGURUPARSAD", which means "The only God, by the grace of guru, worship" (Eliade 1987, 317). Only one reference regarding tattoos was located in the IRBDC data bank: it reports the comments of a man wearing a tattoo of Guru Nanak on his hand (The Washington Post 28 Oct. 1989). Another source mentions the existence of saffron-coloured stickers with Sikh phrases on them (Mulgrew 1988, 111).

According to a University of British Columbia (UBC) Professor specializing in Sikh and Punjabi issues, a tattoo on the right hand saying "EK ONKAR" does not have any religious or political implications for Sikhs (17 June 1992). Those people belonging to specific sects or denominations within the Sikh faith sometimes indicate their orientation through the way they wrap their turbans or the colour of their clothes (Ibid.). The habit of wearing a tattoo is common in rural areas, and is also encountered in cities, although it is tending to disappear (Ibid.).

A representative of the World Sikh Organization offices in Ottawa confirmed that the above-mentioned tattoo has no religious or political implication for Sikhs (10 June 1992). Such tattoos are quite common for men in the Sikh religion, and their only purpose is to confirm their belief in the unity of God (Ibid.).

References

Eliade, Mircea, ed. 1987. The Encyclopedia of Religion, Vol. 13. New York: Macmillan.

Mulgrew, Ian. 1988. Unholy Terror. Toronto: Key Porter Books, p. 111.

University of British Columbia (UBC), Department of Asian Studies, Vancouver. 17 June 1992. Telephone Interview with a Professor of Sikh Studies.

The Washington Post. 28 October 1989. "'Road Kings' Truck Across India; Daring Drivers Live Dangerously on Ancient Highway." (NEXIS)

World Sikh Organization (WSO), Ottawa. 10 June 1992. Telephone Interview with an Executive Assistant.

Attachments

Eliade, Mircea, ed. 1987. The Encyclopedia of Religion, Vol. 13. New York: Macmillan, pp., 315-320.

Mulgrew, Ian. 1988. Unholy Terror. Toronto: Key Porter Books, p. 111.

The Washington Post. 28 October 1989. "'Road Kings' Truck Across India; Daring Drivers Live Dangerously on Ancient Highway." (NEXIS)