The Rights of Passage

Rights of Passage for Children

Rituals and rights of passage are a part of every day in the lives of Hindu people, for children blessing and prayers are said before they have even been conceived. Hindu people place a very high importance on the continuation of the race of Hindus promptly after mariage, a fertility and conception prayer is said, this first prayer is called Garbhadana. 

Women attending Simantonnyana festivities.

Once a woman is pregnant the list of rituals continues in this order:

1. After being pregnant for three months, the Punsavana ritual is performed to ensure a strong fetus
2. After seven months of pregnancy the Simantonnyana ritual is done. The word translates into 'satisfying the craving of the mother', which is very important in the Hindu culture because the state of mind of the mother is said to greatly affect the mental health of the baby.
3. When a child is born, the pleasant Jatakarma rite is performed to receive the child into the world. A little bit of honey is put into the child's mouth and the name of God is whispered into its ear.



  A baby with the marks from the
Namakarna ceremony.

4. The naming ceremony, called Namakarna, is elaborate and varies in different parts of India and simply the family. The baby is first touched on its forehead with water to purify, then marked on its face to ward off evil, its given Hindu name is then whispered into each ear.

As the life of a child continues, several other ceremonies are performed to mark the aging of a child including:

• The ear-piercing ceremony called Karnavedha
• The first haircut ritual called Mundan
• The ceremony called, Upanayana, when a child vows to respect knowledge, the parents and society when they come of the age to attend school.