A long and thick beard is often a sign of wisdom across India but not for one village that decided to go against the grain.
Any young man who dons a “fashionable” beard in the Chaudhary community, which is made up of 54 villages in Banaskantha, Gujarat, could face a R12,000 fine.
The village has also banned buying and cutting birthday cakes during celebrations. Parties have now stopped in the area as hiring caterers and DJs have also been barred.
The older people in the village explained that the move is to preserve the culture of their area, where the men are often clean-shaven, The Times reported.
“Our community has decided to ban it as the youths have started sporting a beard and one cannot recognise if they are from the Chaudhary community or not.
“People having clean shaves is the identity of our community,” a leader of the area, Raymalbhai Chaudhary, told The Indian Express.
The ban on celebrations is more of an economic decision, Chaudhary explained.
He added that those within the community often purchase cakes and hire DJs with money they do not have. They are doing so just for the sake of other people.
Another financially targeted ban is the tradition of smoking opium after someone dies.
“There is this tradition of opium consumption during death-related ceremonies in our community. We want to stop it as it puts a lot of financial burden on poor people and also it is illegal,” Chaudhary said.
Compiled by Dylan Bettencourt
Pictured above: An Indian man with an impressive beard
