Shaving, is both a ceremonial cleansing and a hygienic act.
Many purification ceremonies include removing one or both of
the head and facial hairs, which are thought to trap impurities (ashaucha).
Body hair, on the other hand, is seldom shaved since the
Sanskrit language has separate labels for these two forms of hair and considers
them to be wholly different things.
The mourners will not shave for the whole 10 days of
impurity associated with death (maranashaucha), representing their continued
impurity, but will shave entirely at the conclusion of that time, marking their
ultimate cleansing.
Hindu males may also abstain from shaving as a symbol of
austerity when observing religious commitments, and then shave after the vow is
fulfilled.
During the lunar month of Shravan, for example, males who
are followers of the deity Shiva (bhakta) may typically abstain from shaving.
Another example is the ceremonial preparation for the yearly
pilgrimage to Shabari Malai, in which males must follow a severe ascetic discipline
for forty-one days prior to the journey, which includes a prohibition on
shaving.
