This sanskara developed for reasons of physical hygiene. Usually performed when the child is approximately three years old, it is believed to have the power to cleanse the body and soul. The hair on a child's head when he emerges from the womb is considered impure and must be shaved off to make way for the strong, clean hair that grows thereafter. In addition, to shave the head, a razor or other sharp instrument was required. Chudakarana is also a symbolic release of the child from his mother. Usually by three, the child is no longer being nursed by the mother, and is no longer physically dependent on her. During the Chudakarana, even the hair that he was born with is removed. Therefore this ceremony is believed to mark the point in the child's life when the mother's influence is reduced, and the influence of the father becomes dominant. With the father's influence, the child's education is also believed to begin.
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A muhurta and a suitable location (the temple, the home, or the banks of a river) are selected. Brahmins, relatives, and friends are invited to attend. On the appointed day, the child is bathed and dressed in new clothes. The mother sits with the child to the west of the sacrificial fire (see Agni). The father stands to the right of the mother and offers oblations to the fire. He then pours warm water into a container of cold water, saying, 'With the warm water come hither, Vayu, Aditi, cut the hair.' Then the father rubs some butter or ghee on the right side of the child's head and inserts three stalks of kusha grass into the child's hair saying, 'Oh herb, protect him, do not inflict pain on him.' He takes a razor and telling it to be friendly and gentle, he cuts a little hair from both sides of the child's head,Chudakarana while reciting the requisite mantras. The cut hair is placed on a mound of bull dung. The razor is then given to the barber to complete the task.
The entire head is shaved clean, but for a few tufts of hair (Shikha) left on the crown. The number of the tufts left on the head is determined by family tradition. For example, the descendants of Sage Vasishtha keep one tuft, those of Sage Atri and Sage Kashyapa retain two tufts and so on.
According to Sushruta, the reason that a few tufts are left on the head is that at the crown, an artery joins a critical nerve juncture. Since an injury to this part of the head is believed to be fatal, the tuft is retained to protect the area. After the hair is shaved off, it is collected and mixed with bull dung and either thrown into a river or buried. This is done so that no one can use the hair in sorcery to harm the child. After the ceremony is over, the Brahmins, relatives, and friends are fed and given gifts.
The concept of Chudakarana was known during the Vedic period. This is apparent because of the Vedic mantras specified to be recited during the ceremony.
The rules and procedures for performing the Chudakarana are established in the Grihyasutras (see Sutra). They say this ceremony should be performed when the child is between one and three years old but can take place any time upto the seventh year.
Chudakarana is the first ceremony when various other factors are also considered before performing the ceremony. For example, a muhurta is chosen for the ceremony. However, if the mother is pregnant or menstruating on that day, the ceremony should be postponed. It is believed that it should be performed before the fifth month of the mother's pregnancy, if she is expecting again at that time, to spare her the fatigue of sitting through the ceremony - and to protect her unborn child from the antics of the older Chudakarana child whom she must hold on her lap during Chudakarana.
According to the Grihyasutras (see Sutra), Chudakarana is also performed for girls, but without the recitation of Vedic mantras. However, it is believed that it should not be performed when the child is an even-numbered age, such as two or four years old because even numbers are considered less auspicious then odd numbers.
While 'mundan' or 'mottai' is still very popular, the shikha is rarely retained nowadays. Usually this sanskara is performed along with the Upanayanam.
