Where do the Indian hair extensions found worldwide come from, and what's the story behind terms like " single donor "? You've probably wondered about this, and The Quiet Avant-Gardist delivers the answers.
Tonsure, a millennia-old practice in Hinduism, is like a sacred ritual with multiple dimensions, transcending key stages in individual life.
Chudakarana, the initial rite, is usually celebrated around the child's first birthday. Although not mandatory, this ceremony is seen as a symbolic release from the ties of past life, marking the onset of a new phase of existence. During this event, the mother is adorned in her wedding sari. The baby's head is shaved, nails are trimmed, and the child is then bathed and dressed in new clothes.
Palani, a significant Hindu pilgrimage site in South India, draws thousands of Indians on pilgrimage who practice tonsure, turning it into a devotional act rich with profound meaning. The Murugan Temple, during the Thaipusam festival, attracts numerous devotees. Here, tonsure is not merely a tradition but an offering. Devotees, from newborns to women, flock to rid themselves of ego and attain higher spiritual wisdom.
Tonsure in Palani goes beyond a mother religious act; it symbolizes an inner journey, a transformative experience where each cut hair signifies the liberation of ego. Followers, drawn to this age-old tradition, contribute to making Palani an iconic place where tonsure becomes a spiritual act.
Moreover, temples leverage this abundance and have established a hair processing system for the collected strands. The trade of donated hair is estimated to be worth several tens of millions of dollars annually.