The final day of Himanshu's sacred thread ceremony was on Sunday, January 19, 2003. 

Early in the morning the pundits created yet another altar for a sacred fire.  Here are visible all the objects that would be used for various offerings in the ceremony, as well as the wood for the sacrificial fire, and (lying across it) one of the sacrificial implements (a ladle with which to pour clarified butter into the fire.

The ceremony began with a series of preparatory steps for Himanshu (who had had bits of rag tied around him the evening before. 

Here Himanshu sits with his mother's shawl over his head (again, I believe, symbolizing protective female energy).  His sister Vasudha (in blue) is behind him, and this was one of the few times when she was required to be there.

Here the pundit cuts through the strip of cloth around Himanshu's head, with his sister and an aunt holding a protective cover over him.

After this, they sent him outside the room to get a haircut (the barber came to the house).  According to the oldest texts, the boy's head should be completely shaved (except for a small tuft of hair that is never cut), but in these times (and for this family) a haircut is seen as having the same symbolic value.

Here the barber takes a moment to refresh himself with a cup of tea. 

Although I did not know it at the time, the barber came to the house from a local barbershop just down the street--I was a bit startled a few days later, when I looked into the shop as I was passing by and saw him in there!

Here a family friend performs pheras (circling) with a banknote, which will be given to the barber (whose hand it out to receive it.

As mentioned in the Navagraha Puja photo essay, the purpose of this action is remove any potential bad fortune that could affect Himanshu at such a critical ritual moment.  Any inauspicious qualities are believed to adhere to the gift (perhaps scrubbed loose by the circling motions?) and to be accepted by whomever takes the gift.  Since the barber is not at a critical life juncture, he's probably less worried about inauspiciousness; more fundamentally, this is also required of him as part of his duty to the family. 

In the foreground, Himanshu's mother has a tray containing various edible offerings, including food--this will also be circled around his head, and given to the barber.