Varanasi ghats

The mundan by the river

The mundan, or chudakarana, is one of the sixteen Hindu rites of passage. In Varanasi it is usually done at a ghat on a day chosen by a priest. The barber shaves the child's head while the family recites prayers, sometimes leaving a tuft, the shikha, at the crown, and the hair is offered to the Ganges. A bath in the river follows. For many families, travelling to Varanasi for the mundan ties a child to the holiest city of their faith.

Shaving in mourning

When a parent dies, sons and other close male relatives often shave their heads, sometimes leaving the shikha, as part of the rites that follow a cremation. In Varanasi many cremations take place at Manikarnika and Harishchandra ghats, and mourners shave nearby. The shaving marks a break and a time of purification, and the hair grows back over the period of mourning that follows. The practice differs between regions and families.

Hairstyles of Varanasi ghats

Head shaving in HinduismMundan and mourning shaves at the ghatsShikhaThe tuft often left at the crown after the mundanTonsureRitual shaving by the river