Mundan- A Hindu Ritual for Babies

I just came across an awful and painful ritual that babies in India are subjected to…esp Hindu babies. The kid is not exactly new-born but more or less 6 to 9 months old.


Tonsuring (mundan) is an important ceremony in Hindu communities. The first haircut is an important ritual and it is believed that shaving the hair rids the child of his past life's negativity. Some believe that a mundan bestows a long life, a better future and also protects the child from the evil eye. In some communities, the hair on a newborn’s head is considered impure and it is believed that only a mundan can cleanse the child’s body and soul.

Some believe that a mundan helps release excess body heat and keeps the baby's head cool. Some also believe that a mundan helps relieve headache and pains associated with teething. It is also a common belief that shaving off the hair stimulates cells and improves blood circulation, which may help in the growth of better and thicker hair.

Apart from the Indian community, Chinese and Mongolians also observe similar traditions for shaving the head of their children.

But this ceremony is really a big torture for the poor kid, who cannot express itself in words and resorts to the only medium that it knows- that is crying. The tears appear like huge drops and the whole face is red like a tomato…but it can’t do anything. A slight twitch of the body results in cuts and knick’s which cause further pain and tears.

Further, after the shave it just has to bear the burning sensation and there is no way he may complain about it. Most kids end up looking hideous after the process… Given a choice I would never subject my child to this torture…my poor baby…I would end up in tears seeing him wither in tears! But Indian’s are so custom bound, that they are not ready to budge or forgo such things. You as parents hardly have any say in front of an endless list of relatives, who all claim to know what’s good for your child as this is your first experience at raising kids.

God Bless my Child!!!