D Gukesh Seeks Blessings at Tirumala Temple: Embracing Tradition and Spiritual Significance of Mundan

The youngest World Chess Champion, D Gukesh, made headlines once again as he shaved his head and sought blessings at the Tirumala Temple in Andhra Pradesh following his World Championship triumph. Gukesh, who won the World Chess Championship last year in Singapore after defeating Ding Liren, was accompanied by his parents Rajnikanth and Padmakumari during his visit to the temple.

With a big year ahead, Gukesh remains focused on his game and is determined to keep working hard to improve in all formats. “I have to keep working hard. In 2025 there are a lot of important tournaments, so I’m focusing on that. I want to improve in all formats, and hopefully, at some point with God’s grace, good things will happen,” Gukesh said, as quoted by ChessBase India.

Netizens have praised Gukesh for embracing tradition and spirituality. Many have commented on social media about the significance of shaving one’s head in Hindu traditions, especially at temples like Tirumala. “Spirituality brings clarity. Clarity brings focus. Focus brings success,” wrote one user on Instagram.

Earlier this year, Gukesh received the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award for his outstanding achievements in chess, including his gold medals in the FIDE World Chess Championship and the FIDE Chess Olympiad in 2024.

Shaving one’s head, known as mundan or tonsuring, holds deep spiritual, cultural, and religious significance in Hindu traditions, especially at temples like Tirumala. This practice is often done as an offering to God, symbolizing devotion, humility, and cleansing. It is believed that by offering their hair, individuals lose their ego and submit to divine will.

In Hinduism, hair symbolizes attachments of the world and previous karma. Head shaving signifies the removal of pride, lust, and negative energies, giving the individual a chance for a new spiritual beginning. Whether done for a vow, spiritual growth, or cultural tradition, shaving one’s head at temples remains an important and meaningful practice in Hinduism.