To Sikhs, the kirpan is a blessing from the Guru and holds very high spiritual significance. If the Kirpan's blade is less than 6cm it can go as carry-on, otherwise it will need to go in checked luggage. Not all countries allow blades of any type on board an aircraft.
Sikhs are allowed to carry the kirpan onboard domestic flights in India. The full length of the Kirpan shouldn't exceed 23 cm (9 inches) long and the length of the blade shouldn't exceed 15 cm (6 inches) long.
In brief, this exemption means that it is not an offence under the Control of Weapons Act 1990 for a Sikh person to carry a kirpan in public on the basis that they carry it out of religious observance.
Article 25 of the Indian Constitution deems the carrying of a kirpan by Sikhs to be included in the profession of the Sikh religion and not illegal. Sikhs are allowed to carry the kirpan on board domestic flights in India.
CATSA allows kirpans with blades of up to 6cm to be worn on flights domestically in Canada and to all international/domestic destinations, except the USA. If you have a transit stop over for your flight, you will have to ensure that the stop-over country also allows small kirpans.
Carriage of “Kirpan” by Sikh Passengers
A 'Kirpan' with a total maximum length of 9 inches (22.86 cm), but a blade not exceeding 06 inches (15.24 cm), is permitted for carriage by a Sikh Passenger on their person, within India.
This is not a weapon, and strict rules prohibit its use as such. It is never to be removed from its sheath. For safety reasons, two or three clasps hold the kirpan securely in the sheath.
The Kirpan is considered sharp object and must be in checked baggage, and cannot be worn or carried through the checkpoint. Please view TSA.gov for the list of prohibited items.
Under the current court security policy, Sikhs are allowed to bring a kirpan into a court or tribunal building if the overall length is no more than 6in (15.2cm) and the blade is no more than 5in in length (12.7cm).
The federal standard only requires public authorities not to discriminate against religion, and a ban on weapons at school may apply equally to a kirpan or a switchblade. Some states have statutes or constitutional provisions that offer more protection of individual religious liberty.
Staff wanting permission to carry a Kirpan must complete appropriate documentation, and receive authorisation, prior to carrying a Kirpan into a correctional centre or any other place of detention.
Kirpans are typically sheathed and worn with a gatra (a strap) underneath clothing. The kirpan obligates a Sikh to the ideals of generosity, compassion and service to humanity. It acts as a reminder to its bearer of a Sikh's solemn duty to protect the weak and promote justice for all.
Controversy over the kirpan first burst onto the national scene in 2001 when Montrealer Gurbaj Singh Multani, then a 12-year-old student, accidentally dropped his 8-inch ceremonial dagger at school. It triggered a five-year-long dispute with the school board over his right to wear the dagger.
The Offensive Weapons Act creates the offence of having an article with a blade or point (or offensive weapon) on school premises. A person has a defence if the article in question is worn for religious reasons. There should be no objection to the practice of wearing the five K's, including the Kirpan.
The Sikh faith stipulates that from the time of baptism or initiation, Sikhs, male and female, must wear a kirpan and the other four Ks.
- An employer cannot prohibit Sikh employees from wearing the kirpan in the workplace, - In most cases, any health and safety risks can be lessened by steps such as requiring it to be worn under the clothing and restrained in the gatra and sheath at all times.
Dietary avoidance out of politeness. Sikhs also generally avoid eating beef because the cow, the buffalo and the ox are an integral part of rural Sikh livelihoods. Similarly, they avoid eating pork when they are in the company of Muslims. However, there is no religious prohibition about eating beef and pork.
Kirpan (from kirpa: mercy and aan: honour) symbolises power and freedom of spirit, and is a reminder to Sikhs to fight injustice and oppression, but is not to be used as an instrument of violence.
Checked Bags: Yes
Except for plastic or round bladed butter knives. Any sharp objects in checked bags should be sheathed or securely wrapped to prevent injury to baggage handlers and inspectors.
In general, you are prohibited from traveling with sharp objects in your carry-on baggage; please pack these items in your checked baggage.
Not allowed in checked-in or hand baggage
Sharp Objects: Box cutters, ice axes, ice picks, metal objects with sharp edges, razor-type blades not in cartridge (excluding safety razors), sword.
In Sweden, a kirpan must be dull in order to be carried in public.
As such, it was mandated that all Sikhs initiated into the faith cover our heads with a turban, thereby signifying the equal status among the faith's followers. Because it's considered respectful for Sikhs to keep our heads covered when in public and in our religious spaces, the turban provides that function as well.
Since 1699, about two centuries after the founding of the religion, Sikh leaders have prohibited their members from cutting their hair, saying long hair is a symbol of Sikh pride. The turban was conceived to manage the long hair and intended to make Sikhs easily identifiable in a crowd.