Upanayana

The Upanayana ceremony in progress in Nepal. Traditionally, this ritual was for 7, 9, and 11 year olds in South Asia, but is now practiced for all ages as seen above.[1]

Upanayana (Sanskrit: उपनयन, romanized: upanayana, lit. 'initiation') is a Hindu educational sacrament,[2] one of the traditional saṃskāras or rites of passage that marked the acceptance of a student by a preceptor, such as a guru or acharya, and an individual's initiation into a school in Hinduism. Some traditions consider the ceremony as a spiritual rebirth for the child or future dvija, twice born. It signifies the acquisition of the knowledge of and the start of a new and disciplined life as a brahmāchārya. According to the given community and its regional language, it is also known by numerous terms such as mekhal in Kashmiri (मेखल), janeo in Punjabi (ਜਨੇਓ), jaanoi in Gujrati (જાનોઇ), janya in Sindhi (जन्य), janev in Bhojpuri (जनेव), munja in Marathi (मुंजा), munji in Konkani (मुंजी), poite in Bangla (পৈতৈ), brataghara in Odia (ବ୍ରତଘର), logun dioni in Assamese (লগুণ দিওনী), bratabandha in Nepali (ब्रतबन्ध), chewar in Newari (छेवार), upanayana in Kannada (ಉಪನಯನ), upanayanamu in Telugu (ఉపనయనము), upanayanam in Malayalam (ഉപനയനം), and upanayanam or poonool in Tamil (உபநயனம் or பூணூல்).[3] The Upanayanam ceremony is arguably the most important rite for Brāhmaṇa, Kṣatriya, and Vaiśya males, ensuring his rights with responsibilities and signifying his advent into adulthood.[4]

The tradition is widely discussed in ancient Samskṛta texts of Hinduism and varies regionally.[5] The sacred thread or yajñopavīta (also referred to as Janeu, Jandhyam, Pūṇūl, Muñja and Janivara[6] Yonya[7]) has become one of the most important identifiers of the Upanayana ceremony in contemporary times, however this was not always the case.[8] Generally, this ceremony should be performed before the advent of adulthood.

  1. ^ Coward & Cook 1996, p. 67.
  2. ^ Kanitkar & Cole 2010, p. 4.
  3. ^ "Dr. Shashishekhar Toshkhani: The Literary Works". www.ikashmir.net. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  4. ^ Carstairs, G. Morris; Kapur, Ravi L. (1976). The Great Universe of Kota: Stress, Change, and Mental Disorder in an Indian Village. University of California Press. p. 49. ISBN 978-0-520-03024-4.
  5. ^ Kane 1941, pp. 268–287.
  6. ^ Sastry, C. V. (25 January 2022). Rituals & Practices of Hinduism. Zorba Books. ISBN 978-93-93029-12-6.
  7. ^ "Yonya (Janeu Holy Thread)". www.kashmiribazaar.in. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  8. ^ Ambedkar 1947, p. 158.