What is Pagdi Rasam and when does it happen?

Pagdi Rasam is the turban-tying ceremony in which a turban (pagdi) is placed on the head of the eldest son or senior male heir at the time of Terahvin. It is the community’s formal recognition that this person has assumed the responsibilities of the family head — including the duty to perform annual Shradh and Pitrupaksha rites for the deceased. The pagdi-bandhan is witnessed by the assembled family and community, giving it social authority. Pagdi Rasam is Deshachar (regional custom), not a Puranic injunction, and is most commonly observed in Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Punjab. In Rajasthan, the ceremony also extends to younger brothers of the deceased whose own fathers have already passed away.