Kirpaan

Kirpan (the sword) or sabre as its shape matches similar weapon in English terminology.
Kirpan is worn by all amritdhari (baptised) sikhs, as been told by Dasam Guru Shri Guru Gobind Singh. But kirpan is taking smaller shapes or we can say it is becoming more and more minute.
The usual kirpan is about three and a half feet long, kirpans vary in width as maker would make different types of width, it also depends on the carrier/warrior as it is he/she who would choose the width according to his/her capability or liking.
Kirpans now come in 10 inches and smaller sizes, but it is even difficult to convince people who wear naked (without sheath) kirpan to wear standard kirpan however short but with sheath/ mayaan.

Swords of west are flat more like what sikhs call khanda (double edged sword), kirpans are curved however the curve depends on the maker but the group of curved blades is usually referred to as sabres, sikhs call them kirpans.

Kirpan has to be unsheathed (meaning to be used as weapon) only to protect dharam, its not wholly self-defense that sikhs are told to wear by Dasam Guru, but for defense of others.
Kirpan is also used for bhog launa (to make an offering) of karrah parshad (sweetmeat, made of aatta (wheat flour), gheo (refined butter) and water) by passing kirpan through karrah parshad which was earlier done using teer (arrow) during times of Dasam Guru.
It was the guru himself who passed hukam (order) to sangat that henceforth the bhog should be done using kirpan.



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