11/12/2021
My humble pranams and gratitude to the unknown parents of this beautiful child.
First Hair Cutting (Mundan) - THE CHOWLAM ceremony
In the good old days, I had seen in Prashanthi Nilayam, some lucky fathers keeping their children on their laps and waiting for Swami to arrive near them. The father keeps a newly bought scissor on a new plate, and holds it to Swami. Swami graciously bends down, picks up the scissor, and then cuts a few hairs from the child’s head. But now, those days are gone. You will not be permitted to carry such tools inside Darshan hall.
As per old traditions, we are not allowed to give the child a haircut as we like. The first haircut is also backed up with certain religious rituals. This ritual is called “Chowlam” or MUNDAM.. There is a belief that the first hair from the time of birth is impure and so shaving it off is a purification, An auspicious day is selected, the pundit is called home, and after certain procedures, the pundit asks the father to keep the child on his lap and formally cut a few hairs with the holy scissor, (a new one, bought specially for this purpose). Afterwards the local barber, who is already in attendance, is called for making a clean shave of the head. In between some parents would have made special vows, to bring the child to certain holy places, to shave off the head of the child. If such a promise had been made earlier to certain deities, to ward of certain diseases or mishaps, then it is important to fulfill such vows.
I had grown up sufficiently to remember my first haircut. My mother had taken up a vow to get my hair shaved off at Tirupathi. My parents could not find time for this pilgrimage. The result was, my hair had gown very long like that of girls. Though I looked very beautiful like girls, extra attention had to be given in tending the hairstyle every day. By the time I started attending school, all the children, especially boys started teasing me.
But instead of Tirupathi my parents took me to a famous “Durga devi” temple, near Tiruchirapalli in Tamil Nadu called “Chamayapuram. I remember well, that we were traveling on a bullock cart. Quite a long distance to go by a bullock cart, but for a group of about 6 of us, that was the cheapest mode of travel. There were not many buses those days.
I did not know what was happening. After few hours of rest, they took me to a barber. I have never seen or heard about barber. I was made to sit in front of a man, who was holding a scissor and rusty knives in his hands. First he used his scissors, and cut off the long hair. Then with the help of the knife, he shaved off my head quite clean. I was protesting and crying. But who bothers! While coming out of his place, with wet eyes, I was looking down on the floor where my long hair had fallen. It still looked beautiful with nice knots and blue ribbon at the tail end. I had no mind to cast it off just like that. Nobody showed any mercy to me. I was taken to a nearby well. They poured water on my head and then dressed me up. They applied some wet sandal paste on my head for cooling and soothing effect. We went to the temple for Darshan. The deity, Goddess Mariyamma looked very beautiful. Then I asked my parent a silly question. I asked, “You told that we are offering my hair to this Goddess. Then why have you not brought it here to the temple? It is left in the barber’s place”.
Lovingly Bombay Srinivasan.
Then and there, inside the temple, in presence of many other devotee visitors, I was given some beatings for my impertinence.
Lovingly Bombay Srinivasan.
