A man sporting an impressive moustache in Manali.
After being amused, entertained, fascinated, and impressed by the many mustaches, worn as a sign of virility by men all over India, I feel quite sad that this piece of Indian pride is under threat.
According to the British author of Hair India — A Guide to the Bizarre Beards and Magnificent Moustaches of Hindustan, the popularity of the mustache is on the decline. The reason? A worrying lack of role models.
Sad but true, the young and modern generation want to appear to be exactly that — young and modern. A mustache just doesn’t fit the look. You’ll rarely see famous cricketers or Bollywood actors sporting more than a bit of designer stubble. The youth of today are following this trend.
All this poses a severe problem for the future of the mustache.
Personally, I find a clean face more attractive. However, it is a concern to think that unless the mustache makes a comeback, in the next couple of generations it could very well become extinct. An important Indian tradition would be lost along with it.
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{ 36 comments… read them below or add one }
But I wonder if, for our children, or their children, a moustache will look “modern” – precisely because the men of our generation think a clean face is more modern-looking??
Oh, I certainly hope not!!
In rural India(Bihar,particularly) such moustaches are usually sported by a large no. of old men,the young though,are not particularly fond of da kind of mouche dis man in da pic is sporting.My hubby also likes 2 b clean shaved.I also lyk him dat way,although lukin at dat pic m just wondering hw he will luk if he has sucha moustache…:D My kids wud start saying”Muchhe ho toh papa(natthulal) jaisi!”
Haha! I’m pleased that my husband comes from a family of non-moustaches. His dad doesn’t have one, and neither do any of his brothers. My husband looks COMPLETELY different with a mouche though — not that he’s ever grown one, but once he let me draw one on him with kajal. I parted his hair on the side too, and he looked like a proper Hindustani admi. I must admit, I do like the moustaches on those Rajput men though!
Rajput moustaches are a symbol of a warriors pride, honor and courage.
I envy that guy! I don’t even have much hair left on my head! Gah!
They certainly serve that purpose. They’re fabulous! They look so dignified.
Good idea Sharell
Let me try 2 draw sm mouche on his face 2nyt after he goes 2 sleep! 
Oh that would be too funny, Suhani! Do it, do it!! Imagine him waking up in the morning and finding a mouche on his face!
hahahaha
I’m definately gonna try 2nyt.However if he wakes up in da middle of it den I’ll b in deep trouble!I cant stop laughing thinking over it.2day is my turn 2 ROFL 
Suhani come back and tell us how it went!
Bahut mazaa aane wale hai! I hope I got that expression right?
Yeah Sharell,u r absolutely right!Lagi raho,lagi raho!
Kamaal hai!! Arrre vah!! Shaabash!! hehehe.
If I’ve cooked a tasty meal, my husband always says “bahut mazaa aaya” (a lot of fun came) so I adapted it from that! When he first started saying that expression to me, I thought it sounded so strange!! It’s not like English at all. 
“bahut mazaa aaya” (a lot of fun came) datz da best literal translation!
Seriously,learning a new language initially seems very wierd.Most of da Bhojpuri words didnt make much sense 2 me wen I was learning da language!But seriously,learnin a new language is a lot of fun!Da best part is after u’ve learned da language,wen u speak 5-10 lines in it in frnt of ppl who wudve never imagined u cud speak da language & wen u c der stunned expressions,haha!Dats wen I felt I made it!
Wah Sharell ji wah aap bahut achi tarah hindi bolte hai. Mere ko bhi is tarah hindi nahin aata. Keep up the good work.
I agree. It’s like putting a new puzzle together!
I remember when I managed to speak 3 lines of Hindi to my husband, he was like “wow, I can have a conversation with you”! I was so thrilled because I still remember when he would avoid speaking to me in Hindi because I didn’t understand, and my replies were hopelessly bad. Now we chatter to each other a few lines at a time. I also want to have “Hindi only” days but that will require effort. I’ll have to get back to the text books again. 
I might set it as a goal for 2010!
Thank you!!
I will. Especially with all this encouragement.
Welcome Sharell ji, after a year you’ll be speaking hindi with a good flow.
Sharell,my plan worked!
Plus,I made a heavy dinner,so dat after eating he wud feel heavy & wud want 2 sleep earlier & dat worked as well! 
It ws well past 2 am & he was in deep sleep wen I finally drew da mouche wid my kajal pencil! ROFL 
I cudnt draw it properly though coz it ws very difficult 4 me 2 control my laughter! 
Still,plan was successful! Wen he woke up in da morning,he also cudnt control his laughter,lukin at his Natthulal style mouche! He quickly removed it though,since he didnt want da kids 2 c it & laugh at him! 
Now,he’s tellin me he’s goin 2 do da same thing on my face wen I go 2 sleep,so frm 2nyt,I’ll hav 2 b alert even while sleeping! 
I’m still laughing lyk mad over da whole thing!
Yesterday was jst da perfect day 2 draw a mouche on his face..1 of my neighbours(who’s also a really gud friend) makes yummy pav-bhaji,its my kids favourite!So yday wen she came (2 tell me dat she ws makin pavbahji & wanted me 2 send my kids 2 her place 4 dinner)I included her in my plan!She readily agreed 2 keep my kids wid her for da night,so dat I cud carry out da task widout any disturbance!2day being saturday is a school holiday 4 dem & her cute li’l daughter & my kids love each odr’s company.So,dey readily agreed 2 sleep in her houz!
Oh Suhani, that’s just too good!! It’s made my day hearing about it! Seriously.
What a legendary effort! Heheh. I can’t stop giggling about it.
Dhanyavad!Dhanyavad!
(thank u,thank u)
Geeez I’m not showing this post to my girl now! She’s the type of person who would want to try it on me ASAP!
@Ramit
hahahaha
@Sharell
textbooks will help u sharpen ur reading n writing skills but to be able 2 speak Hindi properly,u must converse wid sm1 regularly in it,thereby u’ll improve in your expressions n grammar & also get habituated 2 speakin in Hindi-dat’ll make u a lot more confident in conversing wid sum1 in Hindi ONLY!
I totally agree Suhani. I really have to stop being so self-conscious about it and just do it! 2010, 2010!! It’s at the top of my resolutions.
Ramit, why don’t you get in first and draw one on her! Just imagine!
“Geeez I’m not showing this post to my girl now! She’s the type of person who would want to try it on me ASAP!”
Thats right ramit. If you show her the post she might not want to try it on you for a long long time.
We should all educate our youngsters to atleast grow the moustache for suhaag raat and then later trim it or shave it off when their biwis have a hard time with it.
“We should all educate our youngsters to atleast grow the moustache for suhaag raat”……………
Why suhaag raat? Is it good for oral s*x or sumthing? Actually, I could see how that might be so…….
ROFL Indian American! Kids and their suhaag raats! (Wedding nights) You gotta be kidding me! Like our kids would talk to us about their wedding nights!
Imagine talking to our parents about it heehee.
Sharell, I don’t have the guts to try it on her! If she woke up and caught me doing it, then I’m dead. Imagine the amount of floors I’d have to mop to make up for it!
Yeah the suhaag raat part was just a joke.
I think suhaag raats Indian style are the most embarrassing things ever! When tradition is followed it involves everyone throwing flowers all through the marital bed and room, and hoards of aunties crowding around and literally pushing the bride and groom into the room to ah, have fun consummating the marriage. (At least, I’ve heard how it goes and I believe it happened for my youngest brother in law and sister in law, because my mother in law and I were laughing about it). I don’t know how couples could be relaxed enough to enjoy themselves having experienced that!
It’s a strange concept as Indians are usually so coy about intimacy.
Chances are, your kids would be experienced enough to deal with suhag raats, without having to talk to you. Welcome to the new world!
That would be an understatement. Judging from the nature of arranged marriages in India, where the couple probably didn’t get to know each other much before marriage, I can only imagine how awkard the wedding night going to be for them. Not to mention the wife usually leaves her parental home to be in an unfamiliar and (possibly) harsh household.
Yeah thanks Abdullah! There goes my afternoon tea in peace!
I think people should start a new trend called suhaag din because raat is the time for a good sleep.
Indian American, people don’t sleep much at night in India anymore. Remember the Call centers?
I forgot Ramit ji, call center jobs, doctors, nurses, police etc all those jobs requires one to stay up at night.