Family  Discussion Forum

What is Mundan ceremony? When is Mundan ceremony done? What is the significance of Mundan according to Hindu tradition? Rinki replied. According to ancient Shastras, mundan ceremony is supposed to cleanse baby of sins of previous birth. Scientifically it is believed that shaving the head stimulates blood circulation in head thus improving the quality of hair. The hair that grows after mundan is thicker and better. On the day of Mundan, a havan is done by a priest. A small tuft is left at the top of head in boys. It is better to avoid shampoos and soaps on baby’s head for at least a couple of days to ensure no irritation happens to the sensitive skin of baby. Check for the hygiene while shaving the hairs such as using a new blade. Applying turmeric and sandalwood paste on baby' s head helps in healing as it is a cooling and antiseptic agent. Romie replied. My baby’s mundan was done when he was 3 years old, so in a way he was big enough to understand the ceremony. There was a very grand ceremony for his mundane. The entire village, relatives and friends were invited for the ceremony. My son had long hairs by that time. During the ceremony, he cried a lot and tugged on to me. It was very difficult to hold him still as a result of which there were many nips and tucks on his head. After shaving his head, we put a paste of turmeric and oil on shaved head. He was fine after that. Kumud replied. Mundan is one of the important ceremonies celebrated by Hindus. It is a head shaving ceremony in which the first hairs of the baby are shaved off. It is essentially a purification process wherein all past sins of the baby are cleansed. It is performed in first or third year of baby’s birth. A similar ceremony is also performed in Muslim and Sikh communities. The shaved hair is offered to God or a water body signifying the completion of purification process. Now due to modernization, some families just shave off baby’s hair in a salon. The ceremonies are also not done in a grand scale now.