Indian Samurai इंडियन सामुराई

Cf: http://www.indiandacoit.com/archive/2011/05/03/think-twic...

I have often seen guys with this kind of haircut: shaved head with a rat tail kind of thing (a strand of hair called here Choti). Considering this is pretty ugly, I have always believed it had to mean something.

So I showed this picture to my colleagues who did not really know and had a good laugh that I took such a picture!!

But they tried to give some explanations:

1. This is to show that they are Brahmines – and this strand has never been cut since they were born.

2. This is to show that his dead has died (he then has to shave his head but he can not lose all his “strength” (hair is a symbol of strength) and hence has to keep some)

For information, this was a rickshaw wallah/driver…

I updated my photoblog: a new picture every day in May!!

http://indiansamouraipics.hautetfort.com/

In India, hair is really important.

I tried to look for proper article on the same but could not find anything really so I will gather a few things I can remember about it! 

• There are temples where people shave off and give their hair as an offering to god – which hair is then sent to Italy, treated and recycled in very expensive wigs).
• There are the Jaïn nuns who have to pluck every hair from their head when they become nuns.
• There are the Sikhs who don’t cut their hair and hide it in a turban to “show God that their “human” beauty has no value”.
• There are the Hindu widows who are supposed to shave their head – it is less done today but when you visit the countryside and see a woman with very short hair, you can’t help wondering whether her husband has recently passed away.
• There are the Muslim women who hide their hair.

And the best example is still this one: 

A majority of Indian men never go out without their comb and they frequently use it!! No better way to become rich than starting a comb factory!!