15/10/2021
The ceremony of Vidyarambham (Vidya means "knowledge", arambham means "beginning') for children is held in temples, in churches and in houses. It is a common practise for thousands of people to visit temples to initiate their children into learning.
Initiation into the world of syllabary usually begins with the writing of the mantra
"Om hari sri ganapataye namah, Avikhnamasthu, Sree Guruve Namah, Sree Saraswathi Sahayam"
which means
Salutations to Hari (Lord Vishnu), Shree (the Goddess of prosperity), and Lord Ganapathy
Let us bow our heads to the master of hariganam (vowels) & sriganam (consonants)
Initially, the mantra is written on sand or in a tray of rice grains by the child, under the supervision of a master who conducts the ceremony (usually a priest or a guru). Then, the master writes the mantra on the child's tongue with gold. Writing on sand denotes practice. Writing on grains denotes the acquisition of knowledge, which leads to prosperity. Writing on the tongue with gold invokes the grace of the Goddess of Learning, by which one attains the wealth of true knowledge. The ritual also involves an invocation to Lord Ganapathy for an auspicious start to the learning process.
This ceremony brings religious equality and harmony to the state of Kerala and across the world.
