Sanskaras · संस्कार · Sanskara 8 of 16

Chudakarana (Mundan)चूडाकरण

Chudakarana, popularly Mundan, is the child's first haircut — the shaving of the birth hair, usually in the first or third year, often at a temple or holy river.

  • WhenFirst, third or fifth year
  • ByParents, with a barber and priest
  • Key riteShaving the birth hair, leaving a tuft (shikha) in some families
Image: Saral Shots, CC0, Wikimedia Commons

What Chudakarana (Mundan) means

The hair a child is born with is traditionally associated with the past and with impurities of birth. Shaving it is a fresh start; in many families a small tuft (shikha) is left at the crown.

Many families take the child to a temple or tirtha — Tirumala, Vaishno Devi, a family deity's shrine or the Ganga — and offer the hair to the deity.

How it is performed

  1. Auspicious time. A day is chosen with the Panchang.
  2. Worship. Prayer to Ganesha and the family deity.
  3. The haircut. The barber shaves the head while the parents hold the child; the hair is offered to the deity or into a river.
  4. Care and blessing. Turmeric or sandal paste is applied to the scalp; elders bless the child.

Chudakarana (Mundan) today

Mundan is among the most widely kept childhood sanskaras, especially at pilgrimage temples.

Rituals differ by Veda, region, community and family. For the ceremony itself, follow your family priest (purohit).

Frequently asked questions

Why is the birth hair shaved?

As a fresh start, removing what is associated with birth impurity, and as an offering to the deity.

At what age is Mundan done?

Usually in the first, third or fifth year, by family custom.