Why Do Hindus Wear the Tuft of Hair Called Shikha

[Raji Ram]

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Once a Sri lankan Political big wig Visited MK soon after DMK lost the elections - commented with concern that he has developed Vazukai and lost his hair. This is typical of MKs response Mudiye Poochu (Thalai) mudyia patthi you are concerened!

namakkellAm yAru mudi soottuvA?

thalai mudiyAvadhu nallA irukkattumE!

 

[Raji Ram]

WOW!!!!

From Google images.

 

[prasad1]

rajiji,

https://search.yahoo.com/search;_yl...le=1&fp=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8&p=mohawk hairstyle
I do not know his religion, I do not who will save him.

 

[prasad1]

Rajiji,

(B) The small portion of hair that hangs from behind our head applies little pressure on our brains that helps one to improve concentration and mind control and improve memory.

Will it work for anyone or must they be followers of Hare Krishna movement.

 

[prasad1]

But how does this translate for a female?
A female has a full head of hair hence no Shikh and there is no dearth of females that have mental alertness and intelligence that can outshine males in worldly and even in religious knowledge..so how does a female get her dose of cosmic consciousness?

Or is it that a female is already "more intelligent" than a male hence she does not need a Shikha and only the poor males are struggling to get an antenna in the form of a Shikha to tune in to the cosmic consciousness?

Renukaji,
Gayatri Mantra and women in a TB site!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Raji Ram]

Renukaji,
Gayatri Mantra and women in a TB site!!!!!!!!!!

So what?? Please listen to this:

Anuradha Paudwal

 

[Janaki Jambunathan]

 

[prasad1]

Rajiji,
Going with the theme of my earlier post#80. It used to be prevalent that women were not allowed to even hear Gayatri Mantra being recited.
I am writing this post in Jest. This is not my position and I believe every person has right to chant any mantra or other things.

http://thegreaterindia.blogspot.com/2013/08/gayatri-is-not-for-women.html

Women are not allowed to take part in the rituals? Why were/are they not allowed to chant some of the Vedic versus? It is widely known that some of the Vedic Versus vibrations are so powerful in nature. Once a woman starts chanting these versus regularly, she is likely to lose her female-hood character and get manly tendencies developed in physical appearance . In majority of cases, it might cause hormone disturbances in the body's physical mechanism and disturb their menstrual cycle. In rare cases, a woman who chants these slokhas and versus frequently, even develops masculine character which allows growth of hair in their face & mustache! Imagine, if every woman developed such growth!

http://www.trsiyengar.com/id51.shtml

My father, Late Shri T. S. Ramabathrachariar of Mukkur once gave me the same reason.
I hope that this clarification stands valid even in this scientifically developed age. Every ritual and practice of this Great Hindu religion has a valuable hidden meaning. Unfortunately these were not carried on to the next generation that caused some imbalances in the society. Had it been given in full meaning, we very well could have avoided fanatics & half learnt scholars who now dictate and discriminate women on so many counts.

Even at the times of performing the last rites to the departed souls, only male persons are allowed and if there is no male issues for the deceased one, then power of attorney like authorization is taken from the female issues or from the wife of the departed soul.

 

[talwan]

Very informative OP. But it creates some wonders!

For example

And......... recommended size of tuft is

What will be pressure created ? :ballchain:

P.S: This Q is only for those who like to analyze and not for P J Sir! :decision:

RR ji,
I did a research in Google to find out the pressure,I searched for weight of hair, the best anser i got is,
Best Answer: wow this required some research... anyway what I found is that hair weight can vary based on many things such as the protein compsition (British Journal of Dermatology) , texture, cultural differences in the persons hair being weighed. Some sources said hair weight ranged from 2.5 pounds to 3.5 pounds for a 8 to 16 inches of hair again depending on the type of human hair (texture, thickness and so forth).
I did a Google search and found that also in addition to the various dermatology studies done on hair many advertisers of hair extensions tell you the weight of hair for different types, color, texture hair extensions they sell in various lengths which range from the same I mentioned above from the dermatology sites I visited.
so yes I would say a 2 pound.

 

[sarang]

I didtinctly remember my grandmother telling us while reminiscing, what her mother told her about the 'varan' - தலை நிறைய கட்டு குடுமியோடு ரொம்ப அழகா இருக்கான், - colour took the back seat.

Very informative OP. But it creates some wonders!

For example

And......... recommended size of tuft is

What will be pressure created ? :ballchain:

 

[auh]

Quite some interesting pics

 

[Raji Ram]

Thanks to Alwan Sir for the research!

But, the OP says:

Why Do Hindus Wear the Tuft of Hair Called Shikha

.................. However, there are many reasons for having Shikha:
..................
6.) One must have a sikha to perform any kind of yajna. Therefore in Indian tradition all the brahmanas, Vaisnava or otherwise, keep a sikha. Although there seem to be no sastric injunctions regarding the size of the sikha, Gaudiya Vaisnavas traditionally keep the sikha about the size of a calf’s hoofprint, approximately 1.5 inches (5 – 6 cm.) in diameter.
.......

And not

தலை நிறைய கட்டு குடுமி

This made me wonder about the pressure created by the 'weight' of the kudumi!!

 

[sarang]

Gaudiya vaishnavas and srivaishnavas are different! What 'sri' likes and wants is the rule!

 

[talwan]

Thanks to Alwan Sir for the research!

But, the OP says:
And not This made me wonder about the pressure created by the 'weight' of the kudumi!!

RR ji,
I have a bigger version of Kudumi called 'Kondai'.I don't feel the weight . Probably my 'headweight' is more to accomodate the Kondai weight.
Alwan

 

[Janaki Jambunathan]

RR ji,
I have a bigger version of Kudumi called 'Kondai'.I don't feel the weight . Probably my 'headweight' is more to accomodate the Kondai weight.
Alwan

There is a monstrous version ' Jadda Mudi" When Ganga was coming down with celestial force Shiva tamed and caged her in his tuft Jadamudi - Turning to be MGR sanddai & Banumathis Kondai of my school days! Curious - is it Meenakshi ? Andal ? or olden Pichooda!

 

[talwan]

There is a monstrous version ' Jadda Mudi" When Ganga was coming down with celestial force Shiva tamed and caged her in his tuft Jadamudi - Turning to be MGR sanddai & Banumathis Kondai of my school days! Curious - is it Meenakshi ? Andal ? or olden Pichooda!

So it is concluded that the weight of the Kudumi is not a factor to disturb the person having it.
Alwan

 

[Janaki Jambunathan]

Take an oath on Kudumi - I think Kudumi comes in handy when you vow to do something - swear with a punch " I will not tie my Kudumi till I finish that Job ! - Typical Chanakya sabatham or that of Draupathi vowing to tie only with blood of Duriyodhan instead of oil!

C(s)indu and Kudumi are same! But tieing Kudumi as a vow is dramatised or glorified But Sindu Mudiaradu is not cosidered as an expression of valour - actully considered to be lowly!

Why we donot come across men with sindu deccorated with a bunch of flowers or Chendu unlike women who flaunt Malli around their Kondai!

 

[Janaki Jambunathan]

So it is concluded that the weight of the Kudumi is not a factor to disturb the person having it.
Alwan

But what is inside the Kudumi or Kondai may be a factor to disturb the person - lead to scratcing the head etc See this in the link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PntvCg6O4Po

 

[talwan]

SIKHA, KUDUMI, CHOTI, OPEN FLAG OF SANATANA DHARMA – CAPT AJIT VADAKAYIL



SHIKHA , CHUDA, HINDU RITUAL HAIR TUFT , PERSONAL BRANDING ,SCALAR FIELD GENERATOR – CAPT AJIT VADAKAYIL


Recently the Western historians found a 9000 year old skull with sikha at Globleki Tepi Stonehenge. In 7000 BC Turkey was under Indian rule of Emperor Vikramaditya .

source:http://ajitvadakayil.blogspot.in/2013/09/sikha-kudumi-choti-open-flag-of.html

Alwan

 

[talwan]

Manu Smriti (ii : 27) —
“By oblations to fire during the mother’s pregnancy, by holy rites on the birth of the child, by the tonsure of his head with a lock of hair left on it, by the ligation of the sacrificial cord are the birth taints of the three classes wholly removed.” Manu Smriti (ii : 27)

Alwan

 

[talwan]

In the Mahabharata war of 4000 BC, when Lord Krishna saw that Arjuna wanted to punish Ashwatamma said “ Just cut his Shikha and let him go, it is the equivalent to killing him!”


As instructed Arjuna cut his shika and gouged out the natural diamond on his forehead and let him go".


By this punishment he eliminated the ethereal body.
Alwan

 

[Raji Ram]

Shaolin monk from Google images.

 

[sarang]

A Tragic Story by William Makepeace Thackeray

There lived a sage in days of yore,
And he a handsome pigtail wore;
But wondered much and sorrowed more,
Because it hung behind him.

He mused upon this curious case,
And swore he'd change the pigtail's place,
And have it hanging at his face,
Not dangling there behind him.

Says he, "The mystery I've found -
Says he, "The mystery I've found!
I'll turn me round," - he turned him round;
But still it hung behind him.

Then round and round, and out and in,
All day the puzzled sage did spin;
In vain - it mattered not a pin -
The pigtail hung behind him.

Then round and round, and out and in,
All day the puzzled sage did spin;
In vain - it mattered not a pin -
The pigtail hung behind him.

And right and left and round about,
And up and down and in and out
He turned; but still the pigtail stout
Hung steadily behind him.

And though his efforts never slack,
And though he twist and twirl, and tack,
Alas! Still faithful to his back,
The pigtail hangs behind him.

Shaolin monk from Google images.

 

[V.S. Krishnan]

I greatly enjoyed the explanation given by the writer on tuft. When I find a Sastrigal with Shiksha, my respect towards him increases manifold. It is our culture. On the Upanayanam day, the barber comes and shaves off the front portion of heirs. It is a symbolic gesture that he is initiated to Brahmacharya. He continues the good tradition even after entering Grahasthasrama. In my opinion, certain practices which do not interfere with our routine should not be questioned or ridiculed.

 

[yesmohan]

There is an interesting passage in the Grihya-Sangraha-parisishta, composed by the son Gophila ( Karma-pradipa a suplement to the Sutras of Gobhila) Which Dr.Roth quotes in his “Essays on the Vedhas” p.120 :- The Vasishthas wear a braid(ponytail of hair dress on the head) on the right side,the Athreyas wear three braids, the Angiras wear five locks(of hair), Brigus have their head quite shaved, others have a lock of hair (tuft) on the top of their head (in different forms to differentiate themselves from the followers of other Gothras/followers of different Sutraas/ Vedha etc.)”