photo courtesy Dr.Umesh Behari Mathur
In no other country in the world you will see such a variety of moustaches as in India in spite of them slowly coming out of fashion here too. Traditionally moustaches were seen as a sign of virility in India and an indicator of high caste. The way moustaches were grown - upwards, downwards or across - was a visual sign of a person’s position in society: untouchables, for example, were not permitted to have a mustache at all, while other lower castes had to grow theirs with the ends drooped.
photo courtesy Meena Kadri
photo courtesy Meena Kadri
In some families, it’s still custom for a man to wear moustaches for as long as his father is alive - only once he’s passed away are sons allowed to shave. Certain professions in India, such as the police and army, are still associated with a moustache. It is believed that a police or an army man with moustaches creates a positive impression on people and gets more respect. In Madhya Pradesh moustached policemen are even paid an extra 30 rupees a month.
photo courtesy Shreyans Bhansali
photo courtesy Shreyans Bhansali
In South India eight out of ten males wear a moustache, irrespective of their age, background or social status. In North India, however, most of the moustached men are older that 40.
photo courtesy Sanjay Gupta
photo courtesy miageografia
Ram Singh Chauman of Jaipur became famous thanks to his 12.5 feet long mustaches. He had a bit part in the 1983 James Bond film "Octopussy" and was featured on a Lonely Planet magazine cover. The longest recorded mustache belongs however to Bajansinh Juwansinh Gurjar of Ahmedabad. It had not been cut for 22 years and was 12 feet 6 inches long in 2004.
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