Temple hair
As Temple hair is hair called, predominantly in Indian temples incurred by the faithful in the sacrifice.
Under Hindu - pilgrims , it is common to sacrifice their hair for a vow, or in a new phase of life. The pilgrims use it to honor a vow or request the blessing of a deity with a new vow . At pilgrimage sites, this happens in a mass processing, which is often associated with long waiting times for the pilgrims until they are shaved on makeshift stools by the hairdressers . Usually the hair is cut off in a braid .
In large pilgrimage locations such as Tirumala Tirupati (19 million visitors annually) or Palani (4 million visitors annually), considerable amounts of hair are accumulated. The temple hair is sorted according to length and color directly in the temple and prepared for sale. Women's hair cut in pigtails is particularly popular for further processing, because it enables high quality hair extensions to be achieved. The sale is an important source of income for the temples, so the foundation of the temple in Tirumala Tirupati made an annual turnover of 250 million euros in 2007.
Web links
- Britta Sandberg : Color No 01, 45 centimeters . In: Der Spiegel . No. 7 , 2008, p. 112-115 ( online ).
- GEO.de: India - the temple hair business , accessed on January 23, 2009.
- Al Jazeera : Q&A: Hair India.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Color No 01, 45 centimeters from February 11, 2008, in: Der Spiegel