When Sarwan Singh left his house one fateful morning, he had no idea he would be meeting an obstacle of his faith.
Sarwan was approaching an irrigation canal beside the roadway he was walking on when he saw a dog struggling to stay afloat. As he approached, he noticed that no one was doing anything to assist the dog. So Sarwan decided to try and save the dog, even though he could not swim.
When he removed his turban, he was met with looks of horror and comments of sacrilege. He planned on using his turban as leverage and length, so that he could assist the dog safely.
And it definitely wasn’t a simple procedure. The dog was frightened and would not come to Sarwan’s calls. He had to follow the dog and the current for over 200 metres before the dog was close enough to reach.
Wrapping his turban around the dog, he was finally able to pull him out of the water. People nearby tried to calm the dog, feeding it biscuits and giving it space. The dog refused to be comforted by anyone, including Sarwan.
One of the five articles of Sikh faith is wearing a turban. You may only remove your turban at home, or while bathing. Sarwan was doing neither of those things, but ultimately decided that saving a life that day was more dutiful to his faith.
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