[Advaita-l] Shikha and Kundala

[Sarma KV]

Congratulations Sriram, for a great decision. I am sure, your
antarmukha-saadhana is also as brilliant.

In South India, the kachcham tradition you mentioned is correct.

About chUDaakaraNa: in our family tradition (Andhra Pradesh), it is
performed at any auspicious occasion before the child completes 3 years of
age; some times it happens even when the child is 6 months old. There is no
major difference between boys and girls for this. If it is not performed
within this age, it is done during upanayanam for boys.

In South India, again, brahmachaari-s and even grihastha-s don't wear
kunDala-s (ornate ear-rings with rudraaksha and/or precious stones.) They
wear simple ear rings. kunDala-s are usually worn by aahitaagni-s (people
who have performed Srouta-yaaga-s and are nitya-agnihOtri-s.) I am not sure
if there is a dharma-Saastra injunction for this. It could be simply for
affordability reasons.

-Syam

On Tue, Mar 23, 2010 at 3:05 PM, Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>wrote:

> On Thu, 4 Mar 2010, sriram nagaraj wrote:
>
>  Dear List Members,
>>
>> I am planning on keeping the traditional tuft (Shikha) this August when I
>> visit India again.
>>
>
> Bravo!
>
>
>  I would like to know if earrings (Kundala) can be worn by Brahmacharis or
>> if it is reserved for Grihastas.
>>
>
> As per the pAraskara GrhyasUtra, chuDakaraNa saMskAra (piercing of the
> ears) should take place at 2 or 3 years or "yathA ma~ngalaM" which is
> interpreted as "according to the local/family tradition" which in our case
> means at the time of upanayana. Hopefully other list members will speak up
> if southern customs are different from this.
>
> I have kept Shikha since I had upanayana but because I did not know any
> better and my father was rather irreligious in those days I never had the
> chuDakarana.  I intend to rectify this when my own son has upanayana in a
> couple of years.
>
>
>
>  As I know, Kacchham (5 yards dhoti) is to be worn by Grihastas and simple
>> dhoti by Brahmacharis.
>>
>
> This is another local custom.  We Gujaratis don't really make a
> distinction.
>
> --
> Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>
>
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