Namakaran, or naming of the child, is the first real ceremony held for the
newborn child. It is usually held on the twelfth day of the child's birth,
though, according to one convention, it can be held on any day after the tenth
day, and before the first birthday.
The twelfth day is also when the child's horoscope is formally drawn up.
The first ten days after birth are considered an 'impure' time for the mother
and child. On the twelfth day, the mother and child are given a ritual bath. The
mother swathes the baby in a piece of new cloth, applies kajal to its eyes, and
makes a little beauty mark on the cheek.
The baby is then placed in the father's lap to be blessed. The priest offers
prayers to all the gods and to Agni, the god of fire and the purifying factor,
the elements, and the spirits of the forefathers, and entreats them to bless and
protect the child. He also places the sheet on which the child's horoscope is
written, in front of the image of the deity, for its blessings.
Then, the father leans towards the baby's right ear, and whispers its chosen
name. Usually, the father does not whisper directly into the child's ear, but
uses a betel leaf or its silver imprint, or a few leaves of kusa grass to direct
the words to the child's ear.
The Rig Veda prescribes the formula of giving a name with four components: the
nakshatra name, the name of the deity of the month, the family deity's name, and
the popular name by which the child will generally be addressed.
This system, however, is rarely followed these days. The usual practice is to
give one formal name and, if necessary, a short name by which the child will be
called.
Some people coin a suitable name from a combination of the parents' names. In
certain communities, the first child is named after the paternal grandparent; in
others, the first son is given the same name as the father. Sometimes, the baby
is named after the nakshatra, or star, of its birth. The child could also be
named after the family deity or guru.
After the naming ritual is over, friends and relatives who have come for the
ceremony then bless the child and touch some honey or sugar to its lips. It is a
moment of all-round happiness if the baby smacks its lips.
|
|
