The nine-day Navratri festival and the Vijayadashami day in Kerala is mainly dedicated to Goddess Saraswathi and is noted for the Vidyarambham ceremony. In 2023, the date of Vidyarambham is October 6. On the Vidyarambham day, young children are introduced into the world of alphabets or letters and they take the first step into the world of knowledge.
The Vidyarambham festival is a unique annual event held in Kerala on the Vijayadashami day. This initiation of children into the world of learning is performed by parents, grand parents, elders, writers, teachers and other renowned personalities associated with literature. They adorn the role of Guru to the children.
The children sit on the lap of the guru and the guru writes ‘Hari Shree’ on the child’s tongue with a golden ring. Then, the child writes ‘Hari Shree Ganapathye Namaha’ in Malayalam with the right index finger, with the help of the Guru, on a bed of raw rice.
The Vidyarambham ceremony is a major event at the Thunchan Parambu, dedicated to Thunchath Ezhuthachan, who is considered as the Father of the Malayalam language. Thousands of children partake in the initiation ceremony here and it is a great sight to watch the young children entering to the world of knowledge – some highly enthusiastic, some crying, some adamant and some curious.
Other important places where the Vidyarambham ceremony is held are the Kollur Mookambhika Temple, Paravur Dakshina Mookambika Temple, Panchikadu Saraswathi Temple, Thiruvallukavu, Chottanikara Devi Temple, Ezhukone Mookambika Temple, Poonthanam House, Kalakathu House and Ramapuram Variyamparambil.
The ceremony is also conducted by publishing houses, newspapers and other social and religious organizations.
Students keep there books for puja; workers, mechanics, craftsmen, engineers and all people who make living with tools and other implements perform Saraswathi pooja and Vishwakarma pooja. On the Ayudha Puja day, the books and tools are not touched. The pooja is broken and the books and tools are taken on the Vidyarambham day.
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The Vidyarambham festival is a unique annual event held in Kerala on the Vijayadashami day. This initiation of children into the world of learning is performed by parents, grand parents, elders, writers, teachers and other renowned personalities associated with literature. They adorn the role of Guru to the children.
The children sit on the lap of the guru and the guru writes ‘Hari Shree’ on the child’s tongue with a golden ring. Then, the child writes ‘Hari Shree Ganapathye Namaha’ in Malayalam with the right index finger, with the help of the Guru, on a bed of raw rice.
The Vidyarambham ceremony is a major event at the Thunchan Parambu, dedicated to Thunchath Ezhuthachan, who is considered as the Father of the Malayalam language. Thousands of children partake in the initiation ceremony here and it is a great sight to watch the young children entering to the world of knowledge – some highly enthusiastic, some crying, some adamant and some curious.
Other important places where the Vidyarambham ceremony is held are the Kollur Mookambhika Temple, Paravur Dakshina Mookambika Temple, Panchikadu Saraswathi Temple, Thiruvallukavu, Chottanikara Devi Temple, Ezhukone Mookambika Temple, Poonthanam House, Kalakathu House and Ramapuram Variyamparambil.
The ceremony is also conducted by publishing houses, newspapers and other social and religious organizations.
Students keep there books for puja; workers, mechanics, craftsmen, engineers and all people who make living with tools and other implements perform Saraswathi pooja and Vishwakarma pooja. On the Ayudha Puja day, the books and tools are not touched. The pooja is broken and the books and tools are taken on the Vidyarambham day.
Vidyarambham is an important Hindu festival celebrated in the southern Indian state of Kerala, typically on the day of Vijayadashami, which marks the tenth day of the Hindu month of Ashwin. The festival is primarily associated with the initiation of young children into the world of learning and education, and it is considered an auspicious day to begin formal education.
The main ritual of Vidyarambham involves the initiation of children into the world of letters and learning. This involves a ceremony called Ezhuthiniruthu, where a priest or a learned elder writes the mantra "Harisree Ganapathaye Namaha" on sand or rice grains, and the child is asked to write this mantra on a slate or a plate of rice grains. The child is then given sweets and gifts as a sign of encouragement and blessing.
Apart from the initiation ceremony, Vidyarambham is also a time for cultural programs, feasting, and family gatherings.
People typically dress up in traditional attire and visit temples to seek blessings for their children's education and success. The festival is celebrated with great fervor and enthusiasm across Kerala, and it is an occasion for joy and merriment among people of all ages.
