Annaprasana Or Annaprasanam Ritual!

Annaprasana Or Annaprasanam – New Born Baby’s First Solid Food As Rice Feeding Ritual!

This sanskar or ritual is organized on or after sixth or seventh month as per the gender of the child, sixth or even months for the boy child and odd months for the girl child. The ritual initiates the introduction of solid food for the child.

When the child gets solid food for the first time, Mantras are chanted and pujas are offered to a variety of deities. It is assumed that, with Annaprasana, the flaws that arise due to intake of adulterated food when as a foetus are removed. It is also believed that Annaprasana ritual will help to propitiate speech. The meaning of Annaprasana is anna=rice and prasana= to enter. Annaprasana is done after the Namakaran ritual.

Annaprasana or Annaprasanam is an essential ritual for traditional and religious requirements as well as for scientific reasons.

The child is given rice kheer or payasam fed with a golden ring in some temple or in the presence of a chief priest. From here on you can continue giving the baby solid items in small quantity.

According to the traditions and scientific reasons, Annaprasana should be carried out when the child is between six and seven months old. For a weak child, it can be delayed further. However it should not be performed before the child is four months old because he will not be able to digest food before then. Nor should the ceremony be performed after he is a year old because delaying additional nourishment could affected the child’s natural growth and development.

Some persons consider that Annaprasana should be done after the child’s first teeth come out as this is a definite sign that he will be able to digest solid food.

At the end of the ceremony, different items (books, fruits, toys, money etc.) are spread before the kid. The child is permitted to touch these items and it is assumed that what the child touches first will be his interest for the rest of his life.

Overall, Annaprasana is an essential ritual for traditional and religious requirements as well as for scientific reasons.

All this information is free and only for informational purpose.