Historically, religious leaders in Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Hinduism have been known to wear dreadlocks.  For example James the Just, the first bishop of Jerusalem and "brother of Jesus," was believed to have worn dreadlocks down to his ankles.  The Nazarites, Sadhus, Dervishes and Coptic Monks reportedly wore dreadlocks as well.  Dreadlocks are clearly a global phenomenon and religion and population migration are possibly at the root of its universality.  To add credence to this argument, an examination of dreadlocks in Jamaica takes us back thousands of years to India and the Vedics.

Sri Jambukeshwara Temple Built in the 10th century CE, this temple, dedicated to Shiva and Parvati, is known for its fine gopurams. Gopurams are the entrance gateways to temples in South India. They grew in size from the mid-12th century CE until the colossal ones came to dominate the temple complex, surpassing the main sanctum for architectural elaboration. Often a series of gopurams are to be found at a shrine, each providing entry through a new enclosure wall. The gopuram is generally constructed with a stone base and a superstructure of brick and pilaster. It is rectangular in plan and topped by a barrel-vault roof. The exterior walls are covered with sculpture, including this dreadlock'd statue. source: http://www.shunya.net/

Racially Jamaica, like most countries in the Americas, is a mélange of many groups.  West African slaves, British and Spanish colonialists, Indians and East Asians are among those who immigrated or were forcibly brought to the island.  Each group had its own language, culture and religion.  Racial mixing, social adaptation and day-to-day life resulted in the sharing and intermingling of cultural and belief-sets.  One group in particular, Indians, has a deep religious and spiritual history in which dreadlocks were not only present, but were also regarded in high esteem.

Recall that between 2500 and 500 BCE, the Vedics of ancient India were among the first recorded civilizations to wear dreadlocks.  In particular the Naga, a sect of Sadhus, not only wore dreadlocks but smoked cannabis (marijuana) as well.  The Vedics gave birth to Hinduism and Buddhism and given that many Indians came to Jamaica to serve as indentured servants, they undoubtley brought their culture and spiritual influences with them.

The Naga Sadhus who are (Indian) holy men and women believe dreadlocks to be sacred.   The hair style, which is in turn a life style, symbolizes the inner transformation that occurs when one rejects a material life for one that is spiritually bound.  Sadhus who prescribe to this principle operate based on a destruction-creation principle and dreadlocks serve as a physical embodiment of this ideal.  In effect, where a lack of traditional grooming may seem destructive, it is actually creation at work.  

It is through the Naga sect of Sadhu immigrants to Jamaica that Rastafarians are believed to have gained their exposure to dreadlocks and affinity for smoking canabis (marijuana). Despite this plausible explanation, most Rastafarians attribute their wearing of dreadlocks to the Bible.  In addition to the powerful representation of the Lion of Judah, Rastafarians argue that the "Law of the Nazarite" serves as their original basis for their having adopted dreadlocks.

"All the days of his vow of separation there shall no razor come on his head, until the days are fulfilled, in which he separates himself to Yahweh. He shall be holy. He shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow long."  (Numbers 6:5)

The Nazarites were a select group of inviduals who at birth, were selected by God.  Some of the most popular Nazarites found in the Bible are Samuel, John the Baptist and Samson.  The story of Samson in particular demonstrates the power that locked hair in addition to an ascetic lifestyle garners certain individuals super-human, often God-like powers.  Samson, who was ill-tempered in his youth, encounters a Philistine named Delilah and tells her the source of his power;

“That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother’s womb:  If I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.”  (Judges 16:17)

It wasn’t until he was betrayed by Delilah that Samson fully understood the reasoning behind the Nazarite life and his source of physical power…his locks  Thus for Rastafarians and other spiritual wearers of locks, the journey of growing them results in increased spiritual fortitude and personal strength and if growing locks means one has to operate outside mainstream society, such an exclusion is welcome.  

Although Rastafarian, Vedic and Biblical cultures are of particular interest, further study of dreadlocks reveals that the style is appears throughout many religions.  Despite their deep-rooted spiritual history, in recent years the spread of dreadlocks has had less to do with religion and is more the result of the influence of music over popular culture.  Today, people who wear dreadlocks most often find inspiration from Reggae, Conscious Hip-Hop and R&B which are in and of themselves are arguably quite spiritual in nature.