Chudakarana (Mundan) Samskara: The First Haircut Ceremony Explained

Chudakarana means “the making of the tuft” (chuda is the tuft or topknot on the crown). It is the eighth of the sixteen samskaras and is known in daily speech as mundan, the shaving of the head, or chaula. It is the child’s first haircut: the hair the baby was born with is removed, and the head is then cleaned and anointed. Parents see it as a clean new beginning, and it is one of the most widely kept rites in India.

It follows annaprashana and is followed by karnavedha. For the whole sequence, see the samskaras overview.

What the rite is

In the Grihya Sutras the child’s hair is cut by a barber, in the presence of the family, with a prayer asking for long life and health. In some schools a tuft (shikha) is left at the crown, and in others tufts are left in a pattern that follows the family’s gotra or custom. The hair is gathered, often with the cut ends tied in cow dung or dough, and offered in a river, a pond or at the roots of a tree, or at a temple.

The reason is traditional: the first hair is considered to carry the impressions of the time before birth, and its removal is a sign of a fresh start. A practical reading is that it also keeps a young child’s head clean and cool. Neither of these is a medical claim, and the rite is best understood as a tradition and a family celebration.

When it is done

Manusmriti is generally cited for the first or third year of the child’s life, and the Grihya Sutras give similar ranges, with some naming the first year, others the third, and others the fifth. Texts and families also commonly prefer odd years (first, third, fifth). Some communities hold it earlier, even on the forty-first day or the first year, and many hold it at a temple pilgrimage when a vow has been made.

The day is chosen with the panchang: a suitable tithi, weekday and nakshatra, avoiding days such as Rikta tithis, and often avoiding the child’s birth month in some traditions. A guide to these rules is planned at the mundan muhurat page. Many families also take into account the Uttarayana period (when the Sun moves north), which some texts prefer for this rite.

The steps as families perform them

1. Choosing the place. A family may hold the rite at home, at the family temple or on a pilgrimage, such as Tirupati, Palani, Vaidyanath Dham or a river bank such as Prayagraj or Haridwar.
2. The puja. A lamp is lit, Ganesha and the family deity are invoked, and a short homa may be done. A grandmother or the maternal uncle often holds the child on the lap.
3. The cutting. A barber or a family elder cuts the hair, with a shikha left in some traditions. The family chants a short prayer.
4. The offering. The hair is gathered and offered in water or at the temple.
5. The bath and anointing. The child’s head is washed and anointed with sandal paste or turmeric, and the child is dressed in new clothes.
6. The meal. A feast follows, and gifts are given.

What the Dharmasutras and Grihya Sutras say

Gautama’s list of forty names the rite as chaula, and the Grihya Sutras describe it in detail, with the verses and the tuft varying by school. Manusmriti is cited for the first or third year. We describe only what is common to the texts. The verses and the tuft’s form vary and we do not give them.

Regional customs

• Tirupati and other temples: many families in the south offer the child’s hair at a temple as a vow, and the rite is held there on a chosen day.
• Bengal: the haircut is sometimes held with the first rice meal, and the maternal uncle often takes part.
• Gujarat and Rajasthan: the first haircut is often done at a family goddess’s temple, and the family may have a particular kuldevi to whom the hair is offered.
• Maharashtra: the rite, called javal, is held at home or at a temple, often with a feast.
• In the diaspora: families often hold the haircut at a local temple or at home with a visiting priest, and send a lock of hair to a river on a later visit.

How families adapt it now

The rite adapts easily, and the most useful points concern the child’s comfort and safety.

• Hire a clean, careful barber who uses a fresh blade or a clipper, and who has experience with young children. A baby’s scalp is delicate and a squirming child can be nicked. Many families choose a quiet salon or the home.
• Use a clipper rather than a razor if the child is restless, and ask for a gentle trim if you do not want a full shave.
• Skip the full shave if you prefer. Many families only cut a lock, offer that, and leave the rest.
• Protect the head from the sun afterwards, since a newly shaved scalp burns easily; a soft cotton cap helps.
• Do not believe that the hair will grow thicker. Hair growth is not changed by shaving, and parents may enjoy the rite without any such hope.
• Choose a day when the child is well, fed and not unwell with a cold or fever.

Parents who are far from India can hold the rite at home with a priest, or at a local temple, and send the hair, or a lock of it, to a river on a later visit. The family astrologer can help find a favourable day from the birth chart; see the consultation page for what we offer.

Frequently asked questions