In Hindi, an Indian Language, a turban is called a pagdi. The turban is a headdress, of Asian origin, consisting of a long scarf wound round the head or an inner hat. The turban comes in many shapes and sizes and color of turbans vary, with the cloth`s length being up to 45 meters. Early Persians wore a conical cap sometimes encircled by bands of cloth, which may be considered one of the origins of the modern turban.

The turban did not become common among the Turks, but was common among Ottoman sultans. In the early 21st Century, the wearing of turbans became strongly stigmatized in the United States of America as a consequence of the notorious terrorist actions of Osama bin Laden.

Many Americans assumed that anybody who wears a turban is a Muslim. There were many hate crimes against Sikhs, who make up the overwhelming majority of turban wearers in Western countries, even though they are neither Muslim nor Arab.