If
the names Handlebar, Walrus, Mutton Chop and Imperial don't ring a
bell, head over to the Pushkar Camel Fair in Rajasthan next month for
a crash course in facial hair. Traditionally, a luxuriant moustache
was regarded as a sign of virility and worn as a badge of honour
among Rajasthani men. At the Pushkar and other such rural fairs, a
contest is held where Rajasthani men flaunt their moustaches with
great pride to win a prize. There are many types of moustaches on
display, the humblest being the Handle-bar and its denser version,
the Imperial. Some are mutton-chop, merging the side-burn and the
moustache, leaving the chin clean-shaven.Some moustaches are all
about size, grown to great lengths and kept in a manageable coil in
the turban or with a chinstrap. Incidentally, in November itself,
across the world in Las Vegas, the Beard Team USA National Beard and
Moustache Championships are also being held. For more on the subject,
read Hair
India: Bizarre Beards and Magnificent Moustaches of Hindustan,
by Richard McCallum and Chris Stowers.
An edited version of the article was published in Culturama's October 2012 Issue.
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