Shawn’s Mundan

Today was definitely a new experience for me. I've attended similar ceremonies for friends and family, but each one is different and unique, which makes it special. It's always different being an observer than actually participating, too.

We set up an alter in the corner of our living room with plenty of seating for our guests in chairs, on the couches, and on the ground. We learned that it was very important for us to face West during the ceremony. Our pundit was wonderful at explaining the ceremony step by step as he conducted the rituals.

We began with a blessing and prayers to the Hindu Gods. The pundit gave us dots of red powder, Tika, between our eyebrows (Shawn chose not to have one) and tied sacred red threads, called Mauli, around our wrists. (Raj and Shawn wore theirs on their right hands, while I wore mine on my left.) Their significance was warding off evil and attracting good fortune. By placing them around a coconut, we offered water, flowers, and rice to the gods, inviting them to be a part of our special day.

One part that sticks out in my memory is how the pundit described the utmost importance of a child’s parents, holding them higher than all else. He said that parents are a child’s first teachers. Without parents, the child cannot learn properly and therefore does not have knowledge. Without knowledge, the child has no understanding. Without knowledge and understanding, the child cannot know God. Therefore, parents and teachers are the supreme powers in a child’s life.

The second part of the ceremony included actually shaving Shawn’s hair. Before we began, we tied red threads around three sections of his hair, which we then cut with scissors. Then, Kate Yglesias La Casse (who was my hair dresser for years and did my hair for our wedding) did an amazing job wielding her clippers quickly and carefully so that Shawn barely flinched while locks of his hair fell all around. He did a marvelous job while the clippers were buzzing around his head. It helped tremendously that Kate was able to cut his hair pretty quickly. Regardless, he sat very still and didn't fidget. (I was impressed.) We collected his hair along with some of the articles from the puja and were told to save them. When we go to India, we are supposed to offer it to the sacred Ganges River.

While Kate was shaving his head, she uncovered a cut from a fall a few days ago. (Shawn was being silly while in the bathroom and fell off the toilet!) I knew he bumped his head when he fell, but I didn’t realize that it had left such a gash on poor Shawn’s head! Until now, it had been completely covered by hair! At first glance, people thought that the cut was from the Mundan itself, but luckily, it was well into the healing process already.

Then, Shawn had to get cleaned up and changed into fresh clothes. This symbolized starting completely clean. The pundit conducted more prayers and blessings for ‘the new’ Shawn. All the children gathered around a small fire, or Havan, to make more offerings before concluding the Mundan ceremony. We took Prasad, or fruit (apples and bananas) that had been blessed by the Gods, and Raj and I led Shawn to show respect to our loved ones by touching their feet. Afterwards, we served lunch and socialized with our friends and family.

When I showed Shawn a mirror and he saw his bald reflection, he had a big smile – I was relieved that he liked it. The three of us kept joking, "Where'd your hair go?" Luckily, he has a nicely shaped head, so the bald look worked for him! (We also joked that he's more aerodynamic and he'd be lightening fast!) So, Shaggy Shawn is a Q-ball now! He looks like a completely different person!

I was convinced that he was going to look like an over-grown infant with his newly shaven head; in reality, he looks like he's suddenly become a big boy. He looks much older and more mature now than he did with his wispy locks. I already miss his curls, but I know that hair grows back. Besides, now it's fun to rub our hands across his stubbly head!

At the end of the big day, Raj and I gave Shawn a gift to celebrate his milestone. During the ceremony, we had it nearby in case Shawn needed a distraction while his hair was being shaved. Since we didn’t need it then, we were able to share it with him when everyone went home. He opened a LeapPad Explorer and was very excited to have something like our computer and iPad for himself, especially since it had a camera function on it!

I love that Shawn took an active role in his Mundan ritual. He couldn’t have done that when he was younger. He looked like a little prince and took it all very seriously. For many reasons, including the fact that he didn’t have much hair when he was just a year old, I’m glad we waited until now to have his Mundan.

Yet another milestone to remind me that my little baby is growing up...

That's the part I'm having trouble with!

Happy Mundan, son.

We are very proud of you and love you always and forever.

दैव-दैत्यों पुत्र प्रसन्न

हम बहुत गर्व है तो आप और आप हमेशा प्रेम और सदैव

 

From http://www.indianhindunames.com/mundan-chadakarana-first-hair-removal.htm

“The next important ceremony after Annaprasana and Namakarana in a Hindu child’s life is the Mundan or Chadakarana when the baby has his first hair cut. The Mundan ceremony can be done in the 1st year, 3rd year, or 5th year of age, but it is normally done before the completion of three years of age of the boy.

Please note that Mundan as a ceremony is prescribed only for boy babies, but today, with the changing times, it has become a practice to have the ceremony done for girl children, too.

A proper Mundan ceremony involves three rituals of about an hour’s duration – the boy’s parents do a “Ganesh Puja” (worship of the Hindu Go Ganapati or Ganesh); a barber who shaves the child receives some honour; and a “Havan” (a purifying ritual with a fire ceremony) with devotional prayers known as the Ayushya Home mantra and Arati concludes the ceremony. This is followed by a feast and the giving of presents, which form the social aspect of the Mundan as a samskar.

Shaving the head is termed as “Ayushkarma” in Sanskrit. It means enhancing the longevity or the life span of the child. (“Ayuh” in Ayurveda also means this.) This child’s hair at the time of birth is not strong and the Mundan ceremony ensures that hair roots are strengthened and strong hair is formed. The shaved head receives Vitamin D from exposure from the sun and this has its own medicinal benefits...”

From http://www.iloveindia.com/indian-traditions/mundan.html

“There is a significant reason as to why the head is shaved in such an elaborate ritualistic way. According to the Hindu beliefs, the hair present at birth is supposed to represent unwanted traits from the past lives. In order to make sure that the child has no undesirable qualities of the past birth in this life, the hair is shaved off to ensure a new beginning and a fresh start. Medically, it is said that shaving off the hair stimulates the cells and improves blood circulation to the brain. Some also believe that this gives the child a long life.”