Temple shrugs off hair row

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the body that governs the holiest of Hindu shrines in Tirupathi, is unperturbed by the flak raised over wigs made from hair supplied by it.

The Israeli rabbi, Yosek Shalom Elyashiv, said in a ruling recently: "The wigs made of hair cut in offerings to Hindu gods makes them idolatrous and unacceptable to Judaism."

The TTD is a major supplier of human hair to wig manufacturing companies in India and international markets, by the sheer weight of the millions of worshippers who visit the temple dedicated to Lord Venkateswara in India and get themselves tonsured.

It said it was not worried by the controversy raging over Jewish women using wigs made with the hair collected from pilgrims.

The TTD's executive officer, Ajeya Kallam, said according to Jewish tradition, human hair offered before an idol would become idolatrous. "In our case, devotees offer their hair in a specially designated place and not before the idol of the God."

The TTD entered the Guinness Book of Records for the highest donation of human hair a few years ago. Last year, it earned Rs276.2 million selling over 200,000 kgs of human hair. It segregates the hair from pilgrims, who have to shave themselves as part of the holy ritual, into four varieties and auctions it to wig manufacturing companies.

Only last week, it created a record getting the highest ever price ever for Grade 1 variety of hair at Rs7,585 per kg.

The TTD does not sell hair directly to Israel, but to wig manufacturing companies in India and abroad.

Kallam also clarified that no Jewish scholar or representative came to Tirupathi-Tirumala to investigate the procedure involved in donating hair, and offered to clear the air should they come.