Before and after portraits of a family who had their heads shaved at Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam Hindu temple, where pilgrims are encouraged to surrender their hair to Lord Venkateswara. Dharma (left), his wife Kaultramma, his father-in-law Shettya and his son Rajesh came to thank the Lord for the birth of Rajesh..It is traditional for Hindus to have their heads shaved at a temple at least once in a lifetime. At Tirumala, the hair offered to the gods has been turned into a source of income. Last year, the temple earned US$ 5.6m by selling hair, much of which will have ended up being sold as hair extensions in the West.