Answer

For ordinary Jain householders, it is not compulsory to pluck hair by hand or to cover the mouth all the time.

These practices mainly belong to Jain monks and nuns, especially in certain traditions.

Explanation

1. Plucking hair by hand

This practice is called Keśa-loñca.

• It is practiced by many Jain monks and nuns as part of renunciation.
• It symbolizes detachment from the body, beauty, comfort, and worldly identity.
• It is not required for lay Jains living family and social life.

So, a Jain householder does not need to pluck hair by hand.

2. Covering the mouth

Some Jain monks and nuns cover the mouth with a cloth, especially in the Śvetāmbara tradition. This cloth is commonly called muhapatti.

Its purpose is:

• to reduce harm to tiny living beings in the air,
• to encourage careful speech,
• to support awareness of non-violence.

For lay Jains, covering the mouth is generally done during certain religious practices, such as:

• pratikraman,
• samayik,
• puja or scripture recitation in some traditions.

But householders are not required to wear it all day.

Spiritual Understanding

In Jain Dharma, the main principle behind these practices is Ahimsa — non-violence in thought, speech, and action.

For monks and nuns, discipline is very strict because they have renounced worldly life. For householders, Jain Dharma gives a practical path: live with restraint, compassion, truthfulness, vegetarianism, careful speech, and reduced attachment.

Takeaway

No, ordinary Jains do not have to pluck their hair by hand or cover their mouth all the time.

These are mainly monastic practices. For lay Jains, the deeper goal is to practice Ahimsa, self-control, and spiritual awareness according to one’s capacity.