A rumÃÂl (Punjabi: à ¨°à ©Âà ¨®à ¨¾à ¨²) is a piece of clothing similar to a handkerchief or bandana. It is worn by men who cut their hair and other guests when they are in a gurdwara. Covering the head is respectful in Sikhism and if a man is not wearing a turban, then a rumÃÂl must be worn before entering the gurdwara. RumÃÂls are also worn by Sikh children on their topknot called joora, and by Sikh males while engaging in athletic activities.
In most gurdwaras, there is often a basket of rumÃÂls outside for welcoming in more guests. If there are no rumÃÂls supplied by the gurdwara then a clean and plain handkerchief is the most suitable cloth to use.
Outside the context of Sikhism, a rumÃÂl is simply the Urdu, Hindi, Nepali and Bengali word for handkerchief, and will be understood as such. Its association with Sikhism is not implied.