Chudakarma Samskara/ Mundan Samskara (Week 52) Chudakarma Samskara like many other rituals aims at blessing the child to have a long fulfilling life. Chudakarma Samskara or Mundan Samskara or the first haircut of the baby is an important tradition in India and relatives and friends are invited to bless the child. Chudakarma is a ceremony in which a child’s hair is shaved for the first time. All the hair from the child’s head, except a tuft of hair on the crown part, is shaved off. This tuft is left remaining because it is believed that an important artery passes through this part of the head and shaving here may prove to be fatal. The term ‘chuda’ or ‘shikha’ refers to this tuft. This practice of leaving a tuft unshaven is rarely practiced nowadays. The child usually receives his/her first mundan in either the first year or the third year of age. A priest is called to conduct the rituals according to the traditions and a barber is called to shave off the hair. The hair on ...