These ceremonial shorts, known as 'kachhera', belong to a group of items collected by the donor from the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India, during the Sikh celebrations of the tri-centenary of the Khalsa (formation of the Sikh faith), in April 1999. One of the identifying accoutrements of the Sikh faith, known as the '5 K's' or 'Panj Kakaars' , they are a symbol of modesty and chastity, and ensure briskness of movement in times of action.