Namakaranam and
Annaprasana: In Telugu Hindu culture and tradition
the naming ceremony of a baby is usually celebrated on the same day of the anna prasana (feeding the bay solid food
for the first time).
Cultural Reasons and Understanding: This sanskar/
tradition/ ceremony is performed on or after the sixth or seventh month as per
the gender of the child, sixth or seven months for the boy child and odd months
for the girl child. This ritualistic ceremony initiates the introduction of
solid food for the baby. When the baby gets solid food for the first time, Mantras are recited and pujas are offered to the various
deities. It is believed that, with Annaprasana,
the flaws that arise due to intake of impure food when as a foetus are removed.
It is also believed that Annaprasana ceremony
will help to propitiate speech. The meaning of Annaprasana is anna=rice
and prasana= to enter. Annaprasana is done after the Namakaran ceremony.
The baby is given rice kheer or payasam fed with a golden ring in some
temple or in the presence of a priest. From here on you can continue giving the
baby solid items in small quantity. Some people believe that Annaprasana should be performed after
the child's first teeth come out as this is a sure sign that he will be able to
digest solid food. At the close of the function, different articles (books,
fruits, toys, money etc.) are spread before the child. The baby is allowed to
touch these items and it is believed that what the baby touches first will be
his interest for the rest of his life.
Naming or Initiation
Ceremony: The
traditional ceremony of naming the baby in the Hindu way is known as the namakaran ceremony. This is a social and
legal necessity and an important duty of the parents. The naming process
creates a bond between the child and the rest of the family, and therefore is a
highly auspicious occasion. This ceremony is usually performed on the 12th day
after birth though it varies from region to region and custom to custom.
The mother is specially honoured because she
brought the child into the world. All the relatives and the guests who are
present bless the child and offer gifts to the child and the parents. The
blessings say that the child should grow into being a great person like his
renowned forefathers. Though the infant, obviously, does not understand the
meaning of the ceremony the parents do; and it helps them to understand the
responsibility of bringing up and developing the child into a worthy human
being. For others who are present it is a reassuring
experience of understanding the dignity and value of human life!
The Namkaran
puja is either held at home or in a temple where the priest offers prayers
to all the gods and to the Agni, the elements, and the spirits of the
forefathers, and entreats them to bless and protect the child. The child`s
horoscope if written is also placed in front of the image of the deity for blessings.
Then the baby is placed in the father's (in some regions, maternal uncle's) lap
to be blessed and then he whispers the chosen hindu name in the child's right ear, by using a betel leaf or its
silver imprint, or a few leaves of kusa grass
to direct the words in his ear. After the naming ritual is over, friends and
relatives who have come for the ceremony bless the child and touch some honey
or sugar to its lips. If the naming ceremony is not done on the 12th day, it
can be done on the 101 day or on the first birthday. After the ceremony a feast
is usually arranged to mark the holy occasion and vegetarian meals are
prepared.
Tala
neelalu theeyu Ceremony (baby’s
first hair removal): Please note
that Tala neelalu theeyu cermony is prescribed only boy babies but
today with the changing times, it has become a practice to have the ceremony
done for girl child too. A proper Tala
neelalu theeyu ceremony
involves three rituals of about an hour’s duration – the boy’s parents do a Ganesh puja (worship of the Hindu God Ganapati or Ganesh); a barber who shaves
the child receives some honour; and a Havan
(a purifying ritual with a fire ceremony) with devotional prayers known as the
Ayushya Homa mantra and Arati
concludes the ceremony. This is followed by a feast and the giving of presents
which form the social aspect of the Mundan
as a samskar. Shaving the head is
termed as Ayushkarma in Sanskrit, It means enhancing the longevity or the life
span of the child. Ayuh in Ayurveda also means this). The child's hair at the
time of birth is not strong and the mundan
ceremony ensures that hair roots are strengthened and strong hair is formed.
The shaved head received Vitamin D from from exposure to sun and this has its own
medicinal benefits. Little hair is left at the back known as Shikha, this is supposed to protect that
part of the brain which helps in memory. The Shikha is also supposed to denote the place where, for a pious
person, the soul leaves the body at the time of death. After this ceremony of Talaneelalu the boy child or the girl
child is fully accepted as an entity of a society and a full-fledged member of
a family.
Culture is
the widening of the mind and of the spirit. --Jawaharlal Nehru
First Category: Those who convert themselves because of others. Which means there are people who alter their deeds not because they are sinners, not because they committed mistakes but because of the public opinion, fearing what would the others think.
