Guru Nanak saab’s dress code has been shown in different ways in different pictures which are just the imagination of artists. When we look at these pictures we see lot of things that are not according to the teachings of Guru Saab himself. Guru Nanak saab is shown wearing mala around his neck, holding it in his hand and even has it around his dastaar. Now the point to think is, why would Guru saab do this pakhand of mala, when Guru saab himself condemned these pakhands and karamkand

“chhodile pakhandaa naam laye jahe taranda”(SGGS,p471)

Give up these tantrums, and just recite the name of lord.

It means that these pictures are fake because they show guru saab with mala. In a very famous book that has been banned and was released by Jathedar saab, Guru Saab is shown wearing a topi. Pictures show Guru saab wearing wooden khadawaans in his feet.

We should use our rational mind and historical facts to see what could have been the dress of Guru Saab. Guru Saab during his udassis even went to places that were extremely cold, some historians even says that Guru saab visited Tashkent.In those cold places and minus temperatures Guru Saab would have possibly worn leather shoes and warm clothes. Its not possible that Guru Saab could have gone to such far off places wearing wooden slippers or khadawans.Guru Saab even went to mountains in high altitude places and there are no roads so wearing khadawaans to go to such places does not make sense. But these Sant Babas will show Guru Saab in khadawaans because they have to get the Sangat matha tek to these khadawaans otherwise how will their roti fulka chalu. Recently some relatives of Mardana came and said we have Guru Saabs mala. Some get darshan of Guru Nanak with malas, this should clearly expose these charlatans,because if we think with cool head that Guru Saab who is condemning this mala, will they take mala in their hand?

Rather Guru saab during his udassis passed through many jungles where there are dangerous animals, passed through many dangerous places and also met many dangerous people like Kauda bhil(rakshas). So I think that Guru Saab would possibly have kirpan with them or some other similar thing with them for encountering such situations.Guru Nanak was a fearless personality ,Guru Saab openly challenged Babar by stating his misdeeds at that time when people used to urinate in their pants on hearing the name of any invader.Dr. Ganda Singh stated in an open discussion that the freedom struggle was started by Guru Nanak.

What we see in pictures is Guru saabs head slightly tilted on one side with mala in their hand. Does such pictures makes any sense if we look at the great personality of Guru Saab.

Guru Saab dressed depending on different conditions like weather(warm/cold) and also depending on circumstances as Bhai Gurdas states:

“babe bhek banaya udasi ki reet chalai,chadya sodhan dhart lukai”(Var1,P24)
“Baba phir make gaya, neel bastar dhare banwari,aasa hath kitab kach kuja bang musala dhari”(var1,P32)
“phir baba aaya kartarpur bhek udasi sagal uttara, pehar sansari kapde manji baith kiya avtara”(var1,P38)

Even bhai Gurdas don’t mention any Mala or khadawaan. We all know Guru Saab even tilled his land in Kartarpur, so it means Guru Saab dressed like normal people who do farming. But these pictures portray Guru Saab as some Deredaar sitting on his Takht.

There is no doubt Guru Saab preached and used to give discourses , but not the way these pictures portray if we think using our mind.

Now let us see what Guru saab says about this mala/tasbi:

“pad pustak sandhya baadam, sil pujas bagul samadham
Much jhooth bhibhukhan saaram, trepal tihal bicharam
Gal mala tilak lilatam, dui dhoti bastar kapatam
Jat janas brahmam karmam sab fokat nishyao karmam
Kaho nanak nihchyo dhyawe, vin satgur vat na paawe”(SGGS,p470)

O pundit! You read Vedas and worship stones and do meditation like crane, you say lies by coating it in beautiful jewels and read gayatri mantar 3 times a day,you have mala around your neck,tilak on your head ,2 clothes and cover your head but listen all these things are useless.says nanak! Just remember lord that’s the only way but you can get it through satguru.

“dhoti ujjal tilak gol mala,antar krodh pade natsala
Naam visar maya mad piya bin gur bhagat nahi sukh thiya”(SGGS,p832)

Those who are drunk with maya they cant get any happiness evenif they wear clean dhoti have tilak on head and wear mala.The only way is the name of lord without doing these pakhands.

“salgram bidh puj manavoh sukrit tulsi mala
Ram naam jap beda badho daya karo dyala”(SGGS,p1171)

Hey pundit! Remember the name of lord and overcome your vices to across this world, consider this as your stone worship and mala.

There are lot of other shabads where Gurusaab has condemned this mala. Even bhai Gurdas says:

“amli khame majlasi piram pyala alakh lakhaya
Mala tasbi tod ke jeo so tive atthotar laya
Mer imam ralayi ke ram rahim na nau ginaya”(var 39)

Sikhs of Guru are the worshippers of waheguru, they don’t worship stones or mala nor do they jap ram or rahim but only waheguru.

So we should not bow to any pictures or photographs as they are only imaginations of artists but try to read Gurbani and most important understand it. If we read and understand these Sant Babe can not fool us by saying that they have get darshan of Guru nanak and Guru Gobind Singhji. There is a Sarkari saadh in Delhi Virsa Singh who has even tried to claim that he is Guru Gobind Singh ji.