👶 Mundan Sanskar
Also called Chudakarana · Chaul Sanskar · मुंडन संस्कार
Mundan, or Chudakarana, is the ceremony of a child's first haircut — the eighth of the sixteen sanskars that mark the stages of a Hindu life. The hair a child is born with is shaved for the first time while mantras are recited for health, strength and a long life, and the family gathers to bless the child.
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When Mundan is performed
Custom places it in the first or the third year of the child's life, and some families hold it in the fifth or seventh; an odd-numbered year is traditionally preferred. Family tradition decides more than any rule does — many families have an age, a place or a temple at which every child's mundan has been done for generations, and that custom is followed.
The day is chosen by muhurat. The pandit looks at the tithi, the weekday and the nakshatra in relation to the child's own birth nakshatra, and the months and days a family's tradition avoids are left out.
What happens during the ceremony
The child sits in the lap of the mother or father, facing east. The pandit performs Ganesh puja and takes the sankalp in the child's name, and a short havan is offered. The father, or the pandit on his behalf, cuts the first lock while the mantras are recited; a barber then completes the shaving.
Afterwards the child is bathed and a paste of turmeric and sandalwood is applied to the scalp, which is cooling and soothes the skin. In many families a small tuft, the shikha, is left at the crown. The hair is gathered and later offered at a river, a temple or a place the family holds sacred.
What to arrange at home
A clean, well-lit place for the child to sit, new clothes for after the bath, and the puja articles on the list the pandit sends. The barber is arranged by the family; tell your pandit if you would like guidance on this when you book.
Young children are rarely fond of the moment itself. Hold the ceremony when the child is rested and fed, keep a familiar toy at hand, and expect the pandit to pause for a crying child — it is entirely usual.
Mundan Sanskar — common questions
What is the right age for Mundan?
Tradition favours the first or third year, with some families choosing the fifth or seventh. Follow your own family's custom where there is one; the pandit can suggest a suitable date within the age you have in mind.
Is Mundan performed for girls as well?
Yes, in many families and communities it is performed for daughters exactly as for sons. In others the hair is trimmed symbolically rather than fully shaved. Tell the pandit your family's practice and the ceremony follows it.
Can the Mundan be done at home rather than at a temple or pilgrimage place?
Yes. The sanskar is complete when performed at home with the proper vidhi. Families who have a tradition of a particular temple or river often offer the hair there afterwards.
How long does the ceremony take?
About an hour and a half including the puja and havan. The shaving itself takes only a few minutes.
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Book this pooja →Choosing a date
See the tithi, nakshatra and Rahu Kaal for any day in today's panchang and the Hindu calendar for the month. The muhurat for your own ceremony is calculated by the pandit from your family's details once you book.
Book Mundan Sanskar in your city
Pandits travel across Delhi NCR for this ritual: Mundan Sanskar pandit in Delhi · Mundan Sanskar pandit in Noida · Mundan Sanskar pandit in Greater Noida · Mundan Sanskar pandit in Ghaziabad · Mundan Sanskar pandit in Gurugram · Mundan Sanskar pandit in Faridabad · Mundan Sanskar pandit in Meerut.
Other poojas
Griha Pravesh Pooja · Satyanarayan Katha · Navagraha Shanti Pooja · Rudrabhishek Pooja · Vivah Sanskar · Ganesh Puja · Mahamrityunjaya Jaap · Bhoomi Pujan · Vastu Shanti Pooja · Namkaran Sanskar · Manglik Dosh Nivaran Pooja · Lakshmi Puja
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