KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, January 22, 2011: India barbers in Malaysia plan to make lots of money from the sale of hundreds of kilograms of hair shaved off by devotees during Thai Pusam. ‘Instead of throwing the hair away, local businessmen can make big bucks by selling it to international wig makers. Hair is worth between $200 and $300 per kg.
Local barbers seem unaware of these opportunities as after shaving off the hair it is usually thrown into a local river. About 150 barbers conduct their business at the grounds of the popular Batu Caves temple during Hindu festival of Thaipusam where thousands of Hindu devotees come to get their head shaved.
‘Every year, I collect all the shaved hair and throw it into the river. That’s what I have been doing for the past nine years after Thaipusam,’ said barber P. Sivananthan, 36. He estimates that over 100 kgs of hair is dumped in the river near the temple every year. However, another local barber, N. Ganeson, 30, said that as the hair is a sacrifice to Lord Murugan, it should not be sold for profit.