Shikha (hairstyle)

literally means "crest" or "tuft" in Sanskrit. The hairstyle is referred to as the () in Tamil, / (/) in Kannada, () in Hindi and Rajasthani, () in Bengali, () in Maithili, () in Bhojpuri, () in Malayalam, () in Odia, () in Marathi, () in Telugu and () in Nepali. ==Description==

The shikha signifies a one-pointed (ekanta) focus on a spiritual goal, and devotion to God. It is also an indication of cleanliness, as well as personal sacrifice to God. According to Smriti texts, it is mandatory for all Hindus to wear a shikha, especially for the twice-born (initiated by the sacred thread called the yajnopavita). A man not keeping a tuft is regarded not to gain the full merit of religious ceremonies. Atonement is prescribed for removing the tuft with the performance of a penance called the taptakṛcchra vrata. It is prescribed to be worn at the centre of the head because this is believed to be the region of the body that the deity Brahma is regarded to spiritually reside and a fountain of light is said to originate. According to the school of Tantra, the shikha is said to represent the orifice the human spirit enters the body during birth and leaves after death, and hence is also considered to be the focal point of the spirit. A devotee who wears the tuft is considered to be able to face any event in life with composure in this tradition. The Manusmriti prescribes wearing the tuft when bathing, offering alms, offering oblations to the fire, and during prayer. The shikha is regarded to have gained prominence during the composition of the Sutra texts. The Katyayana Grhya Sutra states that on the occasion of a sacrifice, all hair and beard with the exception of the shikha is to be shaved. The Gobhila Grhya Sutra states that the shikha of a boy is to be arranged in accordance with the customs of his family. ==Procedure==

Traditionally, Hindu men shave off all their hair as a child in a samskāra or ritual known as the chudakarana. A lock of hair is left at the crown (sahasrara). Unlike most other eastern cultures where a coming-of-age ceremony removed childhood locks of hair similar to the shikha, in India, this prepubescent hairstyle is left to grow throughout the man's life, though usually only the most religious men will continue this hairstyle. The arrangement of the tuft is offered various descriptions, differing among scholars and communities. The Yajnavalkya Smriti, for example, prescribes maintaining a tuft according to one's gotra (clan): The same text also quotes the Grhya Sutras: == In popular culture ==

In his autobiography, Mohandas K. Gandhi writes about his encounter with an Swami Shraddhanand: Chanakya is regarded to have undone his shikha after being insulted by King Dhana Nanda of the Nanda dynasty, vowing to leave it undone until he achieved the destruction of the dynasty. ==Gallery==

File:Dikshitar Brahmin of Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India (1909).jpg|A Dikshitar from Chidambaram sporting a shikha File:Swastik on head.jpg|A Hindu child with a shikha and a red swastika painted on his head File:Śikhā.JPG|An ISKCON devotee with a shikha ==See also==