TUFT- KUDUMMI

Once I found a Brahmin of above 50 with tuft

sitting in reception in a lodge at Kumbakonam . I
enquired the name told by friend and he
welcomed me telling he is the person and
comfortably I got accommodated. Two Days
passed and he became closer to me.
I could not resist asking him why he was having
tuft.. He answered. He has studied Vedas. Once
he went to see Kanchi Sankaracharya (Periyaval)
and was waiting. Suddenly he called him and
asked – nee vedam ellam padichirukai allava-
Pinne ean Kudumi veikkallai (You have learnt
Vedas- Why don’t you have tuft.) From then
onwards he was having tuft.  I had no knowledge
that Brahmins learnt Vedas must have tuft.  
In my home sasthrikal coming for various
functions from distant places had tufts. A local
officiating sasthrikal too had tuft. An aged iyer
belonging to samaveda were having tufts. In my
family up to my father’s generation everyone
had tufts . Tulu potties working as temples
priests had tufts.  A panikkar who used to read
bhagavatham was having good tuft.  These
things never made me to think other than by
custom and the function they perform, people
having Vedic knowledge too must have tuft.
Now it comes to my recollection head master of
my School and five other teachers used had
tuft..
In later days while seeing films with themes from
Northen songs (Vadakkan pattukal) of Kerala, I
could see Nairs, Ezhavas too wearing tufts on
those days. Still later while I went to north some
north Indian Brahmins naming Dwivedi, trivedi
and chathurvedi  were taking classes,  I could
see bunch of  lengthy hairs at the back grown
more and tied. It did not take more time for me
to understand why they were having small tufts.
After reading and seeing Chanakya in tele series,
I got a clear picture of tuft he had- A small one
at back with lengthy hairs. Tele-serials were
taken in North; I could think he would have been
born in North India only. He never tied his tuft
after taking an oath till it got achieved.
Though for fashion some keep tuft now a days, in
a recent tele serial- Acharankulam
Anushtanagalum (Customs and procedures) in
Amirtha TV about Lord Dharma sastha, I could
see a well learnt young person having Tuft. He
might be a Veda known person.  
Without more preludes I will go to some
information I collected about tufts which I think
may be interesting to you. The subject is vast
and limited information I could gather are
furnished.
Sincerely,
CHINU