In many historical and period films or series, we see that in ancient times, men in China and Korea kept long hair. In ancient China, this was called 'Guanji' and in later periods 'Queue', while in Korea, it was known as 'Sangtu'. However, many people might not know that in ancient Odisha as well, men kept similar long hair, which was called 'Pendabaḷ' (ପେଣ୍ଡାବାଳ). Not just in Odisha, but before British rule, keeping long hair was a common social norm and a symbol of pride for men across India.
Vyasakabi Fakirmohan Senapati, in Chapter 12 of his autobiography titled "Changes in Social Customs" (ସମାଜର ରୀତିନୀତି ପରିଵର୍ତ୍ତନ), sheds light on this :
ଇଂରାଜୀ ଶିକ୍ଷା ତଥା ବିଦେଶୀୟମାନଙ୍କ ସଂସର୍ଗ ହେତୁ ବାଲେଶ୍ଵରସ୍ଥ ଉତ୍କଳୀୟ ସମାଜ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ଗୋଟାଏ ଭୟଙ୍କର ପରିବର୍ତ୍ତନର ସମୟ ଉପସ୍ଥିତ ହେଲାଣି। ବେଶଭୂଷା, ଆହାର-ବିହାର, ରୀତିନୀତି, ପାପପୁଣ୍ୟ ପ୍ରଭୃତି ସବୁ ବିଷୟରେ ପରିବର୍ତ୍ତନର ଆରମ୍ଭ। ଆଗେ ବାଳକଠାରୁ ବୃଦ୍ଧଯାଏ ସମସ୍ତଙ୍କ ମୁଣ୍ଡରେ ପେଣ୍ଡାବାଳ (ଦୀର୍ଘ କେଶଗୁଚ୍ଛ) ଥିଲା। ଏହି ପେଣ୍ଡାବାଳ ଉଚ୍ଛେଦନ ପ୍ରଥା ପ୍ରଥମେ ସ୍କୁଲ ପଢୁଆଙ୍କଠାରୁ ଆରମ୍ଭ ହେଲା। ସେମାନଙ୍କ ଦେଖାଦେଖି ସହରବାସୀ ଅନ୍ୟାନ୍ୟ ନବଯୁବକଙ୍କ ମସ୍ତକରୁ ପେଣ୍ଡାବାଳ କ୍ରମଶଃ ଅଦୃଶ୍ୟ ହେବାକୁ ଲାଗିଲା। କେବଳ ଥୋକେ ଧର୍ମପ୍ରାଣ, ଅଭିଭାବକଙ୍କ ଭୟରେ ଅତି ସୂକ୍ଷ୍ମାକାର କେରାଏ ମାତ୍ର ବାଳ ଚୁର୍କି (ଶିଖା/ଚୁଟି/ମୁଣ୍ଡର ମଝିରେ ଥିବା ଲମ୍ବା ଚୁଟି) ନାମ ଧାରଣପୂର୍ବକ ପ୍ରଚ୍ଛନ୍ନ ଭାବରେ କେତେକ ବର୍ଷ ଯାଏ ଥୋକେ ଯୁବକଙ୍କ ମସ୍ତକ ଉପରେ ବିରାଜିତ ଥିଲା। କାରଣ କୁଶ ବେଣ୍ଟିରେ (ମୁକୁଳା ବାଳର ଅଗରେ ଗଣ୍ଠି) ଗଣ୍ଠି ନ ପଡ଼ିଲେ ପିତୃଲୋକ ଜଳଗ୍ରହଣ କରିବେ ନାହିଁ। ପରେ ଦୀର୍ଘକାଳ ପର୍ଯ୍ୟନ୍ତ ନିତାନ୍ତ ହିନ୍ଦୁଧର୍ମପରାୟଣ ମହାତ୍ମାମାନଙ୍କ ମସ୍ତକରେ ଚୁର୍କିର ଅସ୍ତିତ୍ଵ ଦୃଶ୍ୟ ହେଉଥିଲା। ଏବେ ଦେଖାଯାଉଅଛି ଯେ, ସ୍କୁଲ ପିଲାମାନଙ୍କ ଆଗରେ ଚୁର୍କି ବା ପେଣ୍ଡାବାଳ ଶବ୍ଦ ଉଚ୍ଚାରଣ କଲେ କେଜାଣି ବା ସେମାନେ ସେଥିର ଅର୍ଥ ବଉଝିବା ସକାଶେ ଅଭିଧାନ ପୁଡ଼ା ଅଣ୍ଡାଳି ବସିବେ।
("Due to English education and contact with foreigners, a time of drastic (terrible) change has arrived within the Odia society of Balasore. Changes have begun in everything—attire, food and lifestyle, customs, and notions of sin and virtue. Previously, from children to the elderly, everyone had 'Pendabal' (a long cluster of hair) on their heads. This practice of eradicating Pendabal first started with school-going boys. Mimicking them, Pendabal gradually began to disappear from the heads of other young men living in the city. Only a few devout youths, out of fear of their guardians, covertly maintained a very thin strand of hair under the name of 'Churki' (shikhā/tuft/long hair in the middle of the head) atop their heads for a few years. This was because of the belief that unless a knot ('Kusha Benti') was tied at the tip of the open hair using Kusha grass, the ancestors would not accept water offerings. Later, for a long time, the existence of this Churki was visible only on the heads of extremely devout Hindu souls. Now, the situation is such that if the words 'Churki' or 'Pendabal' are even uttered in front of school children, God knows, they might sit down and rummage through the pages of a dictionary just to understand its meaning.")
Before the arrival of the British, men in Odisha grew their hair fully around their heads. Once the hair grew very long, it was tied in a specific style at the back or the top-center of the head. The circular cluster or bun formed by combing and gathering the hair together is called 'Penda' in Odia—much like a ball of thread (Suta ra Penda) or a playing ball (Pendu). Because it formed a round shape, it was named 'Pendabal'. Men would tie these long hairs like a topknot, a ponytail, or a bun (Khosa).
If you closely observe the carvings of men, kings, soldiers, or male dancers on the walls of ancient temples like Konark, Puri Jagannath, or Bhubaneswar, you will find a clear reflection of this. Those sculptures distinctly show a large bun or Khosa at the back of the men's heads. During times of war, the Paika (foot soldiers) would tie their long Pendabal tightly on top of their heads, over which they wore their battle helmets. The Khandayats (a warrior caste of Odisha) had a distinct national bun style known as the 'Khandayat Juda'.
In Odisha, men generally did not shave their heads except during times of Shradh (funeral rituals) or mourning. They would gather all their hair to the back and tie it, or tilt it to the left or right side of the head to form a beautiful knot. Applying fragrant oils to it was a standard social practice.
During that era, cutting one's hair was considered a deeply humiliating act for men. Men shaved their heads only as a punishment for a crime or upon the demise of a family member. A refined and civilized Odia man was identified by his beautifully bound Pendabal. During the period described by Fakirmohan, the British 'Crop Cut' (short hair style) arrived in Odisha, and over time, Odia men gradually abandoned their thousands-of-years-old traditional long hair style.
Ritual Modifications: From Hair Knots to 'Pavitri'
Although everyone keeps short hair today, rituals like the Shradh of ancestors, Tarpan, or post-death purification rituals have not ceased. To resolve the practical issue of short hair during rituals, society and priests have found alternative paths.
Previously, a knot was tied by wrapping Kusha grass at the tips of long hair, known as 'Kusha Benti'. Since hair is short now, a special knot or ring is made from the leaves of Kusha grass instead (called 'Pavitri' or 'Kusha Batu'). The person performing the ritual wears this Kusha ring on their ring finger (Anamika) while performing Tarpan and Shradh. Instead of the hair knot, this Kusha ring has now become the symbol of religious purity.
Sanatan Dharma follows the principle of "Desha Kala Patra" (Land, Time, and Circumstance), meaning rules can be adapted according to changing times and situations. In today's society, when keeping long hair is practically difficult, the scriptures prioritize mental devotion, faith, and resolve (Sankalpa) over external appearance. While chanting mantras, the ritual is completed by simply visualizing or making a mental resolve of tying a knot in the hair.
The tradition of keeping long hair was prevalent across many other regions of Asia as well.
According to the teachings of Confucius in ancient China, the body and hair are gifts inherited from one's parents; therefore, cutting hair was considered a sin. Because of this, men grew their hair long and tied it into a topknot called 'Guan' or 'Guanji'. Later, during the Qing Dynasty, after the Manchu rulers conquered China, they made the 'Queue' hairstyle mandatory for men. In this style, the front of the head was shaved while the remaining hair at the back was braided into a long ponytail.
During the Joseon Dynasty, married men pulled their long hair upward to tie a tight bun right in the middle of the head, called 'Sangtu'. It was a symbol of manhood and social responsibility.
Samurai warriors and common men also kept long hair. They would shave the top of the head but grow the side hairs long, pulling them back into a tight knot that folded forward over the top of the head. This style was called 'Chonmage', which can still be seen on Sumo wrestlers today.
In Sanatan tradition, hair was considered a symbol of life energy (Shakti). From the matted hair (Jata) of sages to Kshatriya warriors, everyone kept long hair. While it was called Pendabal in Odisha, Rajput and Maratha warriors of Northern and Western India also kept long hair tied in buns. Notably, because cutting hair is forbidden in the Sikh faith, they still preserve their long hair (Kesh) by tying it into a topknot inside a turban. However, not everyone in India kept long hair uniformly.
In countries like Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, and Cambodia, before the influx of Western influence, men kept long hair, heavily influenced by Indian and Chinese cultures. Burmese men would twist their hair into a beautiful bun on one side or the center of the head, called 'Yaung'.
Mongolia: During the time of Genghis Khan, Mongol warriors sported a unique long hairstyle called 'Kehul'. They shaved the crown of the head but grew long hair on the sides or back, braiding them so that the hair wouldn't fall into their eyes during horse riding and warfare.
Ancient Persian and Assyrian kings and soldiers kept not only long hair but also long, curled beards. For them, well-groomed long hair was a mark of royal honor and valor.
In most ancient European cultures, men kept abundant long hair and beards. Ancient Greek warriors meticulously groomed their long hair before going to battle, as long hair was a symbol of bravery. The native Celts and Gauls of Europe kept waist-long hair and prominent mustaches.
Viking warriors of Scandinavia braided their long hair into beautiful plaits. Outside the Roman Empire, long hair was a sign of freedom among Germanic men. Their rulers were famously referred to as the "Long-haired kings". Conversely, the hair of slaves or servants was forcibly cut short to denote their lack of status, rights, or prestige in society.
The discipline of keeping short hair was first introduced in Europe by the Ancient Roman Empire. The Roman army was the most organized military force in the world. They realized during hand-to-hand combat that an enemy could easily grab a soldier’s long hair or beard to slit his throat.
Therefore, from a safety perspective and to ensure that iron helmets fit properly on the head, it was made mandatory for Roman soldiers to crop their hair short and remain clean-shaven. The Romans considered themselves highly civilized; they presented their short hair as a symbol of 'discipline and civilization' and labeled other long-haired Europeans as 'Barbarians' (uncivilized and wild tribes). Gradually, even common Roman citizens adopted the short hair style.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, people in Europe returned to growing long hair and beards. In fact, during the 17th and 18th centuries, kings and aristocrats in France and England considered wearing an artificial long white wig a matter of high social status. However, this feudal practice ended with the French Revolution. By the late 19th and 20th centuries, short hair became a "Universal Standard" for men worldwide due to several modern factors.
When the British, French, and Dutch colonized countries across Asia and Africa, they implemented their own education systems. To enter their schools and secure government jobs, wearing Western attire and keeping short hair became mandatory. Local populations began to believe that cutting hair like the 'Sahabs' was a prerequisite to being viewed as "educated and modern." The 'school-going boys' mentioned by Fakirmohan belonged to this very transition phase.
The 19th century saw a massive surge in factories worldwide. When working on heavy machinery, men's long hair posed a terrible safety hazard as it could get caught in the machines, leading to fatal accidents. Factory owners consequently instituted short hair rules for worker safety and efficiency.
During World War I and World War II, millions of young men from almost every country were drafted into the military. To maintain hygiene in trenches, prevent head lice, and ensure that gas masks fit airtight, everyone's hair was cut extremely short—giving rise to the "Military Cut". When soldiers returned home after the wars, they carried this habit of short hair into civilian life.
The early 20th century marked major advancements in bacteriology. People began to realize that if long hair wasn't washed daily, it accumulated dirt and spread diseases. Given that modern shampoos and washing facilities were not readily available back then, short hair was deemed a much healthier and easier alternative.
By the mid-20th century, the expansion of cinema, television, and magazines popularized Hollywood heroes appearing on screen in suits and well-groomed short hair. The media successfully broadcasted the narrative that being a 'Gentleman' meant having short hair. The younger generation worldwide began emulating their favorite global stars, slowly forgetting their traditional aesthetics.
The very Pendabal or long hair that was once celebrated across Asia and Europe as the ultimate symbol of masculinity, honor, and freedom became, through the wheel of time, a marker of 'incivility' and being 'outdated'. The hairstyle that men sport today is fundamentally just a modern, globalized iteration of the battle-gear and military discipline of ancient Roman soldiers!
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