Mundan (formally Chudakarana or Chaula samskara) is the rite in which a child's birth hair is shaved for the first time, traditionally in the first or third year of life (some communities prefer the fifth or seventh, and customs differ for boys and girls). The hair grown in the womb is regarded as carrying impressions of past lives, and its removal symbolizes a fresh start, purification, and prayers for long life and intellect; often a small tuft (shikha) is left at the crown. Mundan is frequently performed at temples or on riverbanks — Tirupati, where pilgrims of all ages offer their hair, is the most famous site — and an auspicious muhurat is chosen for the ceremony. The shaved hair is typically offered to the deity or immersed in a sacred river.