Annaprashan (ritual of feeding the first morsel of food to the baby)

1. Objectives

By performing this sanskar (rite) the sin committed from ingestion of faeces and urine when in the womb of the mother is nullified.

2. Auspicious moment (muhurt)

For a baby boy the sixth or eighth month and for a baby girl the fifth or any other odd numbered month is appropriate to perform the rite of Annaprashan. (Even signifies masculine gender and odd signifies the feminine gender.)

3. Resolve (sankalp)

‘We are performing the sanskar of Annaprashan with the objectives of nullifying sins arising from our child’s swallowing faeces when in the womb of its mother, so that it receives pure food, radiance, power of sense organs, long life; for nullification of sins arising from ova and the womb and to be able to receive love of the Supreme God (Parameshwar). As part of this rite we am performing Shri Ganapatipujan, Swastivachan, Matrukapujan and Nandishraddha (all rituals preceding the rite to remove obstacles in the rite and to invoke Deities).’

4. The ritual

After making the resolve the mother should sit opposite the idol or picture of the Deity facing the east, with a white cloth spread on her right lap and feed the child for the first time. Placing a mixture of curd, honey and ghee in a gold or bronze plate and saying ‘O God, the bestower of food, please give us healthy and nutritious food’ with gold in the hand the mother should feed the baby the first morsel of food. When the child has eaten to its content rinse its mouth and make it sit on the ground.

5. Test for its livelihood

Place books, weapons, clothing etc which are a means of livelihood in front of the child to test what it will choose as a livelihood. The object it touches first is considered as the tool of its livelihood in future.