In ancient Vedic (Hindu) culture, there were 16 crucial sacraments performed to secure inner-world blessings and to sanctify life's vital events, or to be purified from sin, thus enabling the smoothness and easiness to live a life. And, still, in many parts of India, these 16 divine celebrations are still practiced.
However, the 7 essential rites from them in an individual's life are:
1. Nāmakaraṇa - Name Giving Ceremony :
According to the Grhya Sutras, the naming ceremony for a child should be performed on the tenth day following birth. Other texts suggest that it should be done on the first new moon after the 10th day of birth. The father whispers the auspicious new name in the infant's right ear.
The child is first dressed in new clothes and is then formally named. The ceremony signifies the child's acceptance by the people around them. It also involves a gathering of the child's relatives and friends.
The ancient Sanskrit texts provide various guidelines for parents when it comes to choosing a child's name. A boy's name typically has two or four syllables, while a girl's name has an odd number of syllables.
The Gryhasutras state that names associated with a deity, virtues, good qualities, lucky stars, constellations, derivatives of the father's or mother's name, or the place of birth, or beautiful elements of nature must be avoided, while preferred names are those associated with a deity, virtues, good qualities, lucky stars, constellations, derivatives of the father's or mother's name, or the place of birth, or beautiful elements of nature (trees, flowers, birds).
According to the Rashi, Nakshatra, maas, family deity, and worldly name, the infant born can be given five names. All of the names are listed in detail in an article by Sanatan Sanstha.
2. Annaprāśana - Beginning of solid food:
Usually in ancient times, for the first few years at the time, an infant was born, he/she was fed by mother's milk only, consequently, Annaprasana marks an infant's first intake of food other than milk.
The first feeding of solid food is a sacred event performed by the father in the temple or home. The choice of food offered is said to help determine his or her destiny.
In Vedic Hindu culture, a child is not allowed to consume rice until Annaprashana has taken place. Rice is revered for its significance as life-sustaining sustenance and a sacred food in the form of kheer.
3. Karṇavēdha - Ear Piercing Ceremony:
This ceremony is done to boys and girls in the temple, generally, on the child's first birthday. Health and wealth benefits derive from this ancient rite. Despite the fact that it is equally beneficial for both men and women, karnavedha has become a rare practice among men in modern times.
Karnavedha is a Vedic rite of passage associated with spiritual symbolism. Some believe it is meant to open the inner ears so that sacred sounds might be received. Hearing divine sounds with focus is considered virtuous since it purifies the mind and feeds the spirit.
4. Chudakarana - Head Shaving Rite:
The head is shaven and smeared with sandalwood paste. It is performed in the temple or home before the age of 4 yrs. The shaven head resembles purity and egolessness.
Hair from birth is traditionally associated with negative attributes from previous lifetimes. As a result, the youngster is newly shaved at the time of the mundana, symbolizing emancipation from the past and a move into the future. For young girls and boys, the process is performed as a unique ceremony in most houses.
5. Vidyārambha - Beginning of Education:
It is performed in the home or temple, the child scribes the first letter of the alphabet in a tray of unbroken, uncooked, saffron rice. The formal beginning of Education.
It is a Hindu tradition in which young children are introduced to the world of information, letters, and the learning process. A youngster between the ages of 2 and 5 can participate in this ritual. Following the rites, Vidyarambham can be conducted at home at an auspicious hour (Muhurta). It entails an initiation ceremony into the syllabary's characters.
6. Vivaha - Marriage Ceremony:
Performed in a temple or wedding hall around the sacred 'homa' fire. Lifetime vows, Vedic prayers & 7 steps before Gods, who consecrate the union of husband and wife.
Marriage is regarded as one of the samskaras in Vedic Hindu traditions, which are eternal pledges between one woman and one husband. Marriage is regarded as a "holy oneness witnessed by the fire itself" in India, where it is thought to have been designed by the cosmos. Traditionally, Hindu families have been patrilocal.
The Hindu wedding ceremony is primarily a Vedic yajna rite, and three main rituals are practically universal: Kanyadan, Panigrahana, and Saptapadi—which are the father giving away his daughter, willingly joining hands near the fire to indicate unity, and taking seven steps before fire' respectively. (Each'step' represents a complete fire circuit.)
7. Antyeshti - Funeral or Last rites:
The soul (Atman, Brahman) is the immortal energy that is released during the Antyeshti rite, however, according to many Hindu schools, both the body and the cosmos are vehicles and transient. According to Hindu literature, the human body and the cosmos are made up of five elements: air, water, fire, earth, and space. The final rite of passage, Antyeshti [also known as Antima Sanskara], restores the body to its five elements.
It includes the preparation of the body, cremation, home-cleansing, and dispersal of ashes. The purifying fire releases the soul from this world that it may journey unhindered to the next.
!!!
Thank you to the reader for your time and energy.
Interested in knowing more about culture read - Religion and Spirituality.
Please give feedback, Your review makes us better