No Shave November: raising awareness on men’s health

Participants at ‘No Shave November’ – a beard and moustache competition in Bengaluru on Saturday.

A full beard, much like those famously sported by Rabindranath Tagore or Leo Tolstoy, or a thin moustache that curled upwards like those of film heroes of yore - India’s first beard and moustache competition held on Saturday saw aficionados sporting these and a variety of other styles.

Over 400 people gathered at the ‘No Shave November’, to watch contenders sporting beards and moustaches of every size. The six categories on which they were judged were: full beard, partial beard, longest beard, handlebar moustache, ‘comb stache’ and the great Indian moustache.

The inspiration for the competition comes from the international initiative, Movember, which encourages people not to shave in November to raise awareness on men’s health issues.

Taking part in the full beard category, Darshan S., actor,

Three Dots, said he had been developing his look for eight months now. “Negative opinions about my look do not affect me. I face a problem only when I am eating,” he says with a laugh.

The winners walk away with a suit and a photoshoot.

“We announced the competition online only two months ago. Within two days, we had 300 registrations,” said Vishal Singh, founder, Bangalore Beard Club, which was formed six months ago.