My mom always scolds me whenever I comb my hairs after sunset. The reason that she would say is “Lakshmi (God) will not come home if you comb after sunset”. Traditionally, we lit the lamp in pooja room and keep the main door open so that Lakshmi (God) would come to our home and bless with health & wealth.

But today, nobody would keep the doors open in evening. It’s not becoz they don’t want Lakshmi to come home.. but becoz of the mosquitoes. We shut all windows and doors once sun sets.

Ok. now what could be the technical reason behind my mom’s scoldings. My theory is below

In olden days, we did not have electricity. The oil lamps could not make the entire home bright. We couldn’t use many oil lamps too. There would be max 1 per room or 1 per house used (depending upon their economic situation). Therefore, if you would comb your hairs in evening, you cannot collect all the fallen hairs from ground and they can fly and also get into the food we eat (Remember we sit & eat on the floor those days and not in dining table).

I also say my theory to my mom whenever she scolds me. But she would just say that I am talking like my dad.

What do you think?

I don’t know where & how this tradition started. Googling says it was very popular in Egypt and of course India. I read in some articles that in olden days, Indian men also used to wear anklets but without any sound. This was a sign that they are married. But some sites say that it is also a sign for married women. But many photos and movies portraying olden days show that women wear anklets almost from their birth. This is an ornament for the bottom of your body. Significantly, women wear a ring in their toes after marriage. This is a symbol that they are married.

When I was a child, somebody told me a different story why women wear anklets that makes noise. Women are well-known to spread rumors. They cannot keep a secret. Therefore, men would use it as a signal to know if a women is walking nearby and they would stop discussing any secrets. Well.. that sounds really acceptable for me.

Whatever be the reason, I like wearing it. My daughter also wears it since birth. She has already started liking it very much. Everybody who see her with anklets say that it looks very nice and she is very proud of it. 🙂