Samskara

The thirteenth of the sixteen traditional
life-cycle ceremonies (samskaras). The
ceremony was performed by a young
man in the brahmacharin (celibate student) stage of life and marked the first
time he shaved his beard. According to
tradition, this rite was followed by giving
a gift to the teacher, ideally a cow. By ritualizing his first shave, the keshanta
samskara was a way to mark the young
man’s changing status. After this he was
responsible for remaining clean-shaven,
as one more of the rules for maintaining
ritual purity. In modern times this rite is
no longer observed. See also shaving.