Cūḍākaraṇa
चूडाकरण
Also written: chudakarana · cūḍākaraṇa · chudakarana sanskar · chudakarana ceremony
Cūḍākaraṇa (चूडाकरण) is the eighth of the sixteen saṃskāras. The first tonsure — removing what was carried from the womb.
| Number | 8 of 16 |
| Stage of life | Childhood |
| Performed | First or third year |
| Purpose | The first tonsure — removing what was carried from the womb. |
What the rite is and why
The child's hair, grown since birth, is shaved, often leaving a tuft (śikhā) at the crown. Water, mantra and a careful razor are used, and the cut hair is offered.
The stated reason is purity and the strengthening of the head; the symbolic reason is that what belonged to the prenatal state is set down before the next stage begins.
In many families the rite is performed at a temple or family shrine, and the hair offered there.
Where it stands today
Widely performed — muṇḍan in the north, chaula, choulam — and one of the most visible surviving saṃskāras.
The sixteen Saṃskāras
From before conception to the final fire: the sixteen refinements that mark a human life, what each one actual…
Garbhādhāna
Garbhādhāna — the first saṃskāra, performed before conception. The conscious invitation of a life, rather than…
Puṁsavana
Puṁsavana — the second saṃskāra, performed third or fourth month of pregnancy. Protection and healthy developm…
Sīmantonnayana
Sīmantonnayana — the third saṃskāra, performed sixth to eighth month. The mother's wellbeing, and the child's …
Jātakarma
Jātakarma — the fourth saṃskāra, performed at birth, before the umbilical cord is cut. Welcoming the child, an…
Nāmakaraṇa
Nāmakaraṇa — the fifth saṃskāra, performed eleventh or twelfth day after birth. The giving of the name — an id…
Last revised 2026-08-16. Corrections are welcome — see how this site is written.