Thursday 14th April 2016 at 17.30 – Trading Hair
As part of the Identity Season we explore how the world is increasingly connected when it comes to how we look.
Thousands of tons of hair are sold in India every year with hundreds of women queuing up at the Hindu temple in Tirumala in India’s southern state of Andhra Pradesh to have their locks cut off by the temple barbers. The temple attracts more pilgrims than Jerusalem, the Vatican or Mecca, and having your hair cut or head shaved is considered auspicious. The clippings then become a major source of income for both the temple and the wider hair industry. The global business is lucrative and growing rapidly, with South Africa emerging as a key market.
Justine Lang embarks on a journey of discovery to find out why women in India sacrifice their natural hair and why an increasing number of South African women want to buy it.
(Image credit: Thinkstock,Luknaja)