'Vidyarambham': Toddlers step into world of knowledge in Kerala on Vijayadasami

Vijayadasami is observed as the day of 'Vidyarambham', the beginning of learning, in the southern state marking the culmination of the annual Navaratri festival.

Thiruvananthapuram: A child was tight-lipped, literally, as the Registrar of Kerala Kalamandalam attempted to write the first letters of life on her tongue as she sat on her mother's lap at the temple theatre or 'Koothambalam' inside the institution on Wednesday morning.

There were several others like her who were hesitant to open their mouths during the 'Vidyarambham' ritual, held on auspicious Vijayadasami in Kerala, at the institute and temples across the state where hundreds of children were initiated into the world of letters, visuals aired on TV channels showed. Vijayadasami is observed as the day of 'Vidyarambham', the beginning of learning, in the southern state marking the culmination of the annual Navaratri festival.

Not just at Kerala Kalamandalam in Thrissur, 'Vidyarambham' was held across the state with famed temples like Panachikkadu Saraswathi Temple in Kottayam and Dakshina Mookambika Temple in North Paravur seeing a huge turnout, since 5 am, after a hiatus of two years when COVID-19 protocols had restricted the number of children who could register for the traditional ritual.

Tirur-based Thunchan Memorial Trust and Research Centre which is dedicated to Thunchath Ezhuthachan, the father of the Malayalam language, which had skipped the ceremony last year, made elaborate arrangements this time for initiating children into the world of knowledge.

As per customs, scholars, writers, teachers, priests and other prominent figures in society make children, usually aged two to three years, write their first letters of learning starting with the mantra 'Hari Sree Ganapathaye Namaha', on the occasion at temples and cultural centers across the state. They help the tiny tots write "Hari..Sree..." on platters filled with rice or it is scribbled on a child's tongue with a golden ring.

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and Leader of Opposition in state assembly V D Satheesan also initiated children into the world of letters. Khan and Tharoor both visited the Sree Saraswathi Devi temple at Poojappura here and initiated children into the world of letters and tweeted photographs of the same.

"Hon'ble Governor Shri Arif Mohammed Khan visited #SaraswatiMandapam and #SriSaraswatiDeviTemple at Poojappura, Thiruvananthapuram on #Vijayadashami. Hon'ble Governor also initiated some children into the world of alphabets and knowledge #vidyarambham," the PRO of Kerala Raj Bhavan tweeted.

"Hon'ble Governor Shri Arif Mohammed Khan said: "My heartiest greetings to Keralites the world over on #VijayaDashmi. My love and blessings to all children having their #Vidyarambham - initiation into the world of alphabets and knowledge-today": PRO, KeralaRajBhavan #Vijayadashami," the PRO said on Twitter.

Tharoor, sharing photographs of the ceremony, tweeted, "As I have since 2009 (except the two pandemic years), visited the Saraswati temple at Poojappura & spent an hour at the Mandapam teaching the alphabet to kids whose parents register for this. It's Kerala's great strength that reverence for reading & writing is instilled early." He also initiated children, of various religions, into the world of letters at his residence here.

"Received nine kids for #Vidyarambham at home today. Taught them "Om Shri" in three scripts, Devanagari, Malayalam & English, in the hope these will be useful to them throughout their lives. #VijayaDashami #Dussehra. A particular joy for me is that learning knows no religious barrier. Hindu, Muslim & Christian kids all willingly learned to write "Om Shri" at my hands in three languages! That's Kerala. #Vidyarambham," he tweeted.

Satheesan too held a Vidyarambham ceremony at his home and shared photographs of the same on his Facebook page in which he said, "On the occasion of Vijayadasami day toddlers through their first letters enter the world of knowledge."