Shaving the head is an ancient Hindu religious practice. It is a way in which a devotee shows dedication to a God, to ask for protection and wealth, or to thank him or her for a miracle received.
Many do this several times in their lives and when a woman decides to shave, she gives up her utmost symbol of beauty. Most of this hair are collected and sold in public auctions: the hair sourced from the South Indian temples is the most broadly demanded by beauty salons in Europe and North America, as it is most commonly used in production of wigs and hair extensions. Women's hair from South of India is the most precious worldwide, and is worth a similar value to gold per gram.
Over the last 15 years the human hair market has become increasingly larger and it continues to grow every year, generating a revenue of around 300 million of dollars (US) per year.