Chudakarana

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Chudakarana - baby's first haircut done on the sixth day after birth.

The Chudakarana (

saṃskāras (sacraments), in which a child receives their first haircut
.

No reference is provided in any

śikhā
or cūḍā, a tuft at the crown of the head.

Originally, the arrangement of the śikhā was the most significant feature of the Chudakarana and the number of tufts was determined by the number of the pravaras belonging to the gotra of the child. Later, in northern India, keeping only one tuft became universal. But in the Deccan and southern India, earlier traditions remained alive to some extent.[2]

In tradition, the hair from birth is associated with undesirable traits from past lives. Thus at the time of the mundana, the child is freshly shaven to signify freedom from the past and moving into the future. The rite is performed as a special ceremony in most homes, for young girls and boys.

At

holy river. The child and their family then perform a sacred yajna ceremony and the Ganga Aarti
.

See also

References