The people of Kerala belonging to all castes and communities have
ceremonies to celebrate every important incident in their life and
many of them survive to this day. `Namakaranam' is the naming ceremony
preformed within a month of the child's birth. Annaprasanam feeding
of rice - or chorunu takes place in the sixth month of the child.
Vidyarambham or initiation into the letters of the alphabet is performed
in the third or fourth year of the child. `Upanayanam' ,an initiation
ceremony is performed by all Brahmins when the boy is invested with
the holy thread.
The Christians of Kerala have several ceremonies which bear resemblance
to those of the Hindus. Corresponding to namakaranam ceremony is the
Baptism of the Christians. There are ceremonies connected with chorunu.
Ariyiliruthu corresponds to the Vidyarambham of the Hindus.
Among the Muslims when a child is born a mullah is called and he
lifts up the child and recites in its ears the the call to prayer
( Vanku). The child is given pure gold diluted in honey like a paste.
(This practice is followed by most of the Keralites.) The marka kalyanam
or sunnath kalyanam is performed in the twelfth year when all Muslims
are circumcised.
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