Muhurat for Mundan (first haircut)

What this event is

Mundan (also Chudakarana or Chaul) is the sacrament of the child's first head-shave. Tradition says it removes the hair of the womb and of the earlier life, and gives the child a fresh start with clear thinking and good health. It is one of the sixteen samskaras (life sacraments).

Auspicious timing in the classical guidance

The child's age. Tradition teaches that Mundan is done in an odd year of the child's life, most often the 1st, 3rd, 5th or 7th year. Many families do it at the end of the first year or in the third year. Some regional customs differ, and some families combine it with the thread ceremony. Follow your family's custom.

Families and priests follow differing lists. The most widely cited one is given below.

Essential

• Avoid Chaturmas, Kharmas (the Sun in Dhanu or Meena rashi), Adhika masa and the periods of Guru asta and Shukra asta.
• Avoid eclipses, Bhadra, Panchak and Rahu Kalam.
• Some sources advise postponing if the mother is in advanced pregnancy, and some families avoid the child's own birth month. Ask your priest.

Strongly preferred

• Nakshatra. Ashwini, Mrigashira, Punarvasu, Pushya, Hasta, Chitra, Swati, Jyeshtha, Shravana, Dhanishta, Shatabhisha and Revati. Jyeshtha is a fierce nakshatra, but Drik Panchang and several classical summaries accept it for the first haircut; some families still avoid it. Avoid Bharani, Krittika, Ardra, Ashlesha, Magha, Purva Phalguni, Moola, Purva Ashadha and Purva Bhadrapada.
• Tithi. The 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 10th, 11th and 13th. Avoid the 4th, 6th, 8th, 9th, 12th, 14th and Amavasya.
• Paksha. Shukla paksha is preferred. Some also accept the first days of Krishna paksha.

Ideal

• Month. Months when the Sun moves north (Uttarayana) are preferred. Among the lunar months, the commonly cited ones are Magha, Phalguna, Chaitra, Vaishakha and Jyeshtha. In some regions, other months are also used. For an eldest child, some families avoid the month of Jyeshtha.
• Weekday. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday are avoided in many sources.
• Time of day. A morning hour, outside Rahu Kalam, when the child is calm.

Preparation and ritual outline

1. Choose a clean place and prepare a kalash, a lamp, rice, flowers, a coconut, new clothes and sandalwood paste.
2. Perform Ganesh puja and Navagraha puja, and pray to the family deity.
3. The child sits in the mother's or maternal uncle's lap near the fire or lamp.
4. The priest recites blessings, and the barber, called nai, shaves the head or cuts a few locks. In some families a small tuft (shikha) is left.
5. The hair is collected on leaves or dough. Tradition offers it to a river, buries it beneath a tree, or gives it at a holy place.
6. The child bathes, wears new clothes, and sandalwood or turmeric paste is applied to the head. Elders bless the child and family share a meal.

Chant ॐ गं गणपतये नमः (Om Gam Ganapataye Namah). Ask a priest or elder to guide pronunciation.

Practical notes for the USA

Many families in the USA do the ceremony at a temple, a community hall or at home, often on a weekend. A professional hairdresser or a relative can do the haircut, and some temples have a barber on the staff. Ask in advance.

• The hair. Collect it in a clean cloth or a small container. If there is no river, bury it in a flowerpot or garden bed, or place it under a tree. Ask the temple or a priest about their custom. Check local rules before offering anything to public waters.
• Pilgrimage. If your family prefers to do Mundan in India at a family temple, plan around the muhurat and school and work leave.
• Time zone. Use the sunrise-based local times shown for your city.

This is general guidance. A personal muhurat is made from the family's own horoscopes by a qualified jyotishi.