Mundan invitations: the first haircut, the temple, and what to write
Mundan is the first haircut, and it is one of the sixteen samskaras, known formally as Chudakarana. The child's head is shaved, and the hair is offered rather than thrown away.
It sounds simple, and then you discover that the age depends on your family, the location may involve a temple several states away, and your child's maternal uncle has a formal role. This page covers all of it.
When it is held
Most families hold the Mundan in an odd year: the first, the third, occasionally the fifth or seventh. The first and third years are by far the most common.
The reasoning given is that the hair a child is born with carries traces of the past life, and removing it marks a clean beginning. The practical reading is that shaving encourages thicker growth and, in a hot climate, that a shaved head is easier to keep clean and cool during teething.
It is almost never held in the second, fourth or sixth year. If you are not sure which year your family follows, ask, because it is one of the customs where the answer is usually firm.
Why families travel for it
A great many Indian families do not hold the Mundan at home. They travel to a particular temple, often the family's kuldevta shrine or a major pilgrimage site, and have it done there. Tirupati, Khatu Shyam Ji, Mehandipur Balaji, Vaishno Devi and Tirumala all see enormous numbers of Mundan ceremonies.
This matters for your invitation more than anything else on this page. If the ceremony is at a temple two states away, most of your guest list cannot come, and the function people are actually invited to is the lunch or the gathering afterwards, often held back home days later.
Say clearly which of the two you are inviting each person to. This is the single most common confusion with Mundan invitations.
What happens, and the mama's role
- A puja firstUsually Ganesh, and often the family deity.
- The child sits on the maternal uncle's lapIn most communities the mama holds the child throughout. It is his formal role and it is taken seriously.
- The first lock is cut ceremoniallyBy the priest or by the mama, with the rest done by a barber.
- The hair is offeredImmersed in a river, buried, or offered at the temple. It is not thrown away.
- Turmeric and sandal pasteApplied to the scalp afterwards, both to soothe it and as a blessing.
- A mealWhich is what most of your guests are actually attending.
Mundan invitation wording you can copy
Copy any of these and change the names, dates and places. They are written to be read out loud, so they sound right on a phone screen too.
Shree Ganeshaya Namah
With the blessings of the Almighty, we invite you to the Mundan ceremony of our [son / daughter]
[Name]
[Day, Date] · Muhurat [Time]
[Venue]
Lunch will follow. Your blessings are all we ask for.
Shree Ganeshaya Namah
Hamare [putra / putri] [Naam] ke Mundan Sanskar ke shubh avsar par aap sapariwar padharein.
[Din, Tithi] · Muhurat [Samay]
[Sthaan]
Aapke aashirwad ki abhilasha hai. Bhojan ki vyavastha hai.
Shree Ganeshaya Namah
[Name]'s Mundan will be performed at [Temple] on [Date].
We would love you to join us for lunch at home to celebrate,
on [Day, Date] · [Time]
[Address]
Blessings only, no gifts.
[Name] is losing his curls.
Mundan ceremony
[Day, Date] · [Time]
[Venue]
Come bless him and stay for lunch.
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Questions people actually ask
At what age is the Mundan ceremony done?
Usually in an odd year, most often the first or third. Some families do the fifth or seventh. It is almost never held in an even year, so ask your elders which your family follows.
Why is the hair not thrown away?
The hair is offered rather than discarded. Families immerse it in a river, bury it, or offer it at the temple where the ceremony is held.
Why do families travel to a temple for a Mundan?
Many hold it at the family's kuldevta shrine or a major pilgrimage site such as Tirupati, Khatu Shyam Ji or Mehandipur Balaji. If yours is far away, most guests will be attending the gathering afterwards rather than the ceremony.
What is the maternal uncle's role?
In most communities the mama holds the child on his lap throughout the ceremony, and often cuts the first lock. It is a formal role, not a courtesy.
What else is this ceremony called?
Chudakarana formally, Jhand in Punjabi families, Choulam or Chudakarma in the south. Use whichever name your family uses on the invitation.