Shikha (hairstyle)

For the women's hairstyle, see French braid.
Hindu male (left) wearing his hair in a shikha

A shikha (Sanskrit: शिखा, romanized: śikhā) is a tuft of hair kept at the back of the head by a Hindu following tonsure.[1] Though traditionally considered to be an essential mark of a Hindu,[2] today it is primarily worn among Brahmins, temple priests, and ascetics.[3]

  1. ^ Umair Mirza (2003-10-01). A Concise Encyclopedia Of Hinduism. p. 171.
  2. ^ Sharma, Arvind (2003). The Study of Hinduism. Univ of South Carolina Press. p. 3. ISBN 978-1-57003-449-7.
  3. ^ Lowe, Scott (2016-07-28). Hair. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. p. 86. ISBN 978-1-62892-221-9.