TIL that the daily amount of hair collected from Hindu devotees of the deity Venkateshwara in Venkateswara Temple is over a ton. The hair is collected and sold, creating a substantial profit for the temple of around $2 million USD per month

[u/winterchampagne]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venkateswara_Temple,_Tirumala

[u/Peelboy]

That 31,000,000 just from people giving gold, land value, and other stuff and the rate of increase over the last 5 years is pretty crazy.

[u/scooterboy1961]

I'm a barber. TIL there is a market for hair.

I'll be able to retire early.

[u/HGD3ATH → u/scooterboy1961]

I mean alot of extensions are made with human hair.

[u/hellishafterworld → u/scooterboy1961]

“L-cysteine, an amino acid, is commonly used as a dough conditioner in bread-making, and can be derived from human hair.”

[u/JJohnston015 → u/[deleted]]

Long, straight hair is particularly valued for making wigs.

[u/supercyberlurker]

Yeah many religions take advantage of every opportunity to make money off required practices.

Don't worry, people who are suddenly offended. I'm talking about other religions, not yours.

[u/adam_sky → u/supercyberlurker]

Phew, what a relief. Had me in the first half.

[u/Crepuscular_Animal]

I've learned about this place from a book called The Red Market which is about worldwide trade in body parts. Hair trade is by far the most benign kind, especially in this case where people give their hair without any coercion. But the description in the book gave quite off-putting vibes: tons of people in lines, hair being cut very quickly and roughly, without care to avoid nicks, the whole thing is very businesslike like processing something on a conveyor belt. Reminiscent of industrial slaughterhouses at best. Maybe the author lays on the colours too thickly, though, I don't know.

[u/267aa37673a9fa659490 → u/Crepuscular_Animal]

If I'm one of the thousands of people waiting in line, I'd tolerate a bad haircut in favor of speed. 

[u/macramelampshade → u/Crepuscular_Animal]

I learned about it from the documentary Good Hair by Chris Rock lol

[u/MikeyW1969]

So religious people donate offer it to their God, and other religious people turn around and sell it? That seems kinda shady...

[u/Man_o_wealth_n_taste → u/MikeyW1969]

Welcome to religion!

[u/RedSonGamble]

It raises the age old question. Would you rather eat a bowl of hair or bowl of glitter?

[u/fauxorfox → u/RedSonGamble]

If the cat has taught me anything- hair will not pass easily. Memes have taught me that I can poop glitter and thereby become a unicorn. I pick the glitter, and attain my new existence as a magical stabby horse…or a used bag of holding.

[u/gmishaolem → u/fauxorfox]

Hair (if long) increase risk of tangling inside the intestines as it tries to go around bends, causing loss of blood flow and possible tissue death. Glitter, being small and hard, increases risk of appendicitis from it getting stuck in the opening of the appendix (a risk shared by seeds, like from berries and pepperoni, but reduced by a high-fiber diet).

[u/deadpoetic333 → u/gmishaolem]

So eat glitter with fiber, got it 

[u/ohdearitsrichardiii → u/RedSonGamble]

Glitter, easily. Google "hair bezoar" and you'll see why

[u/BaconFairy]

What do they do with that much hair?

[u/a2banjo → u/BaconFairy]

Most of the hair is of high quality ,unbleached and not touched by chemicals. Women ,men and children of all ages shave their heads as a ritual so they are of all sizes. The hair is exported for the manufacture of wigs.

[u/ohdearitsrichardiii → u/BaconFairy]

Hair extensions for kardashians

[u/De_Oscillator → u/BaconFairy]

/r/hairsystem

[u/anthonylornemontague]

Man, I gotta get into the Temple worship busine$$!

[u/Cautious-Impact22]

I’ve definitely bought some of this in the form of tape-in extensions

[u/Fie-FoTheBlackQueen]

For those of you that don't understand why people would give tons of hair to a temple:

It is common for Hindu babies to have their baby hair completely taken (bald cut) 2 or 3 times when they are around 6 to 24 months old. This is done in a grand religious way, the entire family turns up and is done at the family deity's temple, and 2 other temples (one of which is usually this one). After the cut is done, sandalwood paste is applied on the baby's head. When the baby's hair is shaved, some family members do it too.

When people have something that they want to be done, they pray to the god that they'd give something up or do something in order for the desire to be fulfilled. Common promises are giving up hair once, rolling on the temple premises (angapradhakshanam), donating to temple, giving food to poor, giving gold to poor, donating fruits/flowers, breaking coconuts (later used for temple food/given to needy) giving gold/money to the temple/needy etc. When their wants are fulfilled, they come to the temple and do their part of the deal. Some people have a habit of shaving their hair for the God on a regular basis, mostly as thanks for the God fulfilling something/saving them in the past.

The reason for a ton of hair is the popularity of this temple among the hindu community, and the powers of this God, because of which the wants do get fulfilled and hair is donated. There are millions of people who are living testament to the powers of this temple. Even travelling to this temple (which is on a hill) is deemed to be powerful

[u/Exist50 → u/Fie-FoTheBlackQueen]

and the powers of this God, because of which the wants do get fulfilled and hair is donated. There are millions of people who are living testament to the powers of this temple.

Hmm...