Anaprashna and cutting of hair (Mundan)

First food ceremony. Naina turned six months old when we were in Perth and despite the absence of dental appliances, she got to munch her way through some proper food. It was also time for first proper hair cut.

She had been eating things like oranges, rice cereal and of course milk, but nothing of a more... err substantive nature.

So on the 26th October morning, we gave N her first proper meal and her first haircut.

It started with applying a teekka by her aunties:

Then came arati (very important in all Hindu ceremonies)

A bit of a snip (barber = Deepti S)

First bit of real food (kheer, rice custard) accompanied
by usual facial expression of what the hell is that~

Hey this Indian food aint bad

And finally, ceremony over, let's party!

The baby mundan that we did for N was only a little one. Most hindu babies get it all shaved off and the hair thrown in the Ganges; as an offering to god. Accordingly, it is usually done by a pandit or priest who can whip off the whole head of hair in a minute or two. By chopping a few bits off, Mum had something to take to India and give to the priest. The "ceremony" had been done. However, Deepti and I have talked about doing the proper job, so to speak, early next year, after Green and Catherine's wedding but before India trip.

Now, not that I have anything against babies with funny shaped heads, but hair makes babies look good. There are lots of babies out there with funny shaped heads, and it makes them cute and adorable and reminds us of how traumatic the birthing process must have been. But hair gives babies an edge. Just expression and wackiness and all those things that N's crazy hair remind me of. The idea of N getting all her hair shaved off fills me with dread.

I can't actually watch it happen. Accordingly, we'll be going to the Hari Krishna temple (I think) and making a donation and one of the devotees will do the job. But I'm not sure I'll be able to watch.