When I was thinking about our Indian culture which is rich in traditions I felt like talking about a specific ritual that is done for Hindu Boys at the age of 4 or 6 or 8 or 10, that is in their, odd years. This is done usually as a ritual of taking a boy to the optimal knowledge he needs. This is also called as "Brahmo- upadesh" bringing light into the child about the real "brahman" or bringing goddess Gayathri through Gayathri mantra upadesh. It is said that only after being blessed with Gayathri a boy can go to the Gurukul to learn all the qualities of life and knowledge from a Guru, who is rich in knowledge of the Vedas and vedangas, which was strictly followed in the olden days. It is called as "upanayana" in sanskrit and "poonal" in Tamil. The bot must know how to recite sanskrit slokas which is taught to him during the ritual and during the ritual the boy should go around in begging alms saying "Bavathi Bkasham Dehi". After upanayana or the sacred thread ceremnony is over the boy becomes the "Brahmacharya", which means vedas. It takes approximately twelve years to learn the vedas totally and at the time the boy reaches his youth from boyhood. A boy who is adorned with sacred thread should follow certain rules and regulations very strictly. He should do the Sandhyavandhana all the 4 times a day. In this busy schedule nobody gets time to do it four times. Atleast 2 times it should be done with shradhha. Goddess Gayathri would be pleased and would surely bless with good knowledge and it also increases the concentration power. And the boy with a sacred thread should also do "Parichesana" before eating any meal. It is nothing but sprinkling water on the food which is as a naivadya to the God. We wont surely waste the food which we have made as a prasada to the God. This also teaches us that we should not waste the food.
A parent should know the real facts of life and realise what is good for a son. After adorning the sacred thread a boy becomes fit to learn the vedas and spread the essence of it to the people. Parents should not delay this part of the ritual as it becomes the second birth of their son and do it accordingly.
A parent should know the real facts of life and realise what is good for a son. After adorning the sacred thread a boy becomes fit to learn the vedas and spread the essence of it to the people. Parents should not delay this part of the ritual as it becomes the second birth of their son and do it accordingly.
