Yet another social function at the SRSG

Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama, Rishikesh, India, is the headquarters of the AHYMSIN, the new international outfit for the propagation of the Himalayan Tradition of Yoga and Meditation founded and launched by Swami Veda Bharati in February, 2007.

SRSG is a village and a community bubbling with activities of various swamis, functionaries, students, workers, volunteers and yoga aspirants from all over the world. Like any other community, we have international and national festivals, and organize social functions involving the community.

Towards April end, the community had an opportunity to participate on this campus the very first Choodakarma Sanskar or Mundan Sanskar (the first ceremonial and ritual shaving of a child’s head) since its inception with joy and fervor.

This ceremony is one of the sixteen Sansakaras (sanctifying rites) an individual goes through in his life time as prescribed in the Hindu tradition. These Sanskaras begin from the Janma (birth ), Annaprashan (when a child is first ritually offered the food cereals), Mundana, Yagyopaweet (sacred thread ceremony), Vivah (marriage) and eventually the cremation rites.

The Choodakarma Sanskar or Mundan Sanskar has a very significant place amongst the sixteen rites in one’s life. While its main function is to remove the hair that a child carries from his mother’s womb, it’s importance also lies in giving a child a lock of hair (Chooda or Shikha) left unshaven at the crown of the head. Tradition has it that this ritual enhances in a child the strength, life span and brilliance.

The child in question is Shaunaka Uniyal (nickname Sanu) son of Shri Harshanand Uniyal and Smt. Kusum Uniyal. Shri Harshanandji is ashram’s priest and faculty member who teaches Sanskrit at the Gurukulam.

The two-day function began at 8.00 pm on 29th April, Sunday, with the worshiping of Lord Ganesha and pooja of the unshorn pony tailed hair of the child. The final part of this program was narration of Satyanarayana Katha, the story of the God almighty as truth incarnate.

The ceremonial head shaving ceremony of the child took place on 30th April, Monday, beginning at 10.00 am. As usual the programme began with the worship to Lord Ganesha, followed by several rituals connected with this ceremony and eventually the actual shaving of the child’s head.

Members of the SRSG community, relatives of the Uniyal family and several guests participated in the function. The ceremony came to an end at 12.00 Noon with the showering of the blessing and gifts by those present on the child.

At 13.00 hours, the Bhandara (auspicious lunch) was served to the entire community and guests.


What Swami Veda says about this ritual.
The first tonsure of the child is performed often in Guru's Ashram, or local temple,or by a holy lake or a sacred river. At SRSG, all three are combined.

It is beleived that the child's first hair carries physical impuritties from the womb and these are cleansed off through the tonsure. It is also believed to by symbolic of removing any dark samskaras from the previous lives. Many Hindus living in the West travel to Haridwar-Rishikesh to have their children's firsty hair tonsured thus.

The hair is a ritual offering of oneself to the Divinity. It is quite common in India to come to a place of pilgrimage and go through a tonsure. The hair for half the black colour wigs sold in the West are supplied by the great Tirupati Temple in the Andhra State where men and women surender the ego of their hairto the divinity. I guess, that is the closest we can get to offering our whole head (mind?) to the Divine presence.