Naming Ceremony... A Culture

Posted by Veena Shivanna (Bengalooru, India) on 6 July 2008 in Lifestyle & Culture and Portfolio.

Its a ritual when we name our little kids. The father is asked to take his ring and dip it in the honey and taste it to the baby.. He also writes the baby's name on the rice and whispers the name in baby's ear..

Wonder what each thing specify... Any idea??

Comments (4)

Vijay Sreshti from Bengaluru, India

Namaste...Namaskara Veena avare,

Significant to note that one person has asked the all-important 'WHY' in addition to following the 'WHAT' of our culture. Each step of the ritual has a symbolic meaning [and various levels, that too! Permit me to add some points]

1. The child KNOWS the mother well [it's been a part of her for +/- 9 months, 24/7], but doesn't know the father so well

2. The father is in a very subtle way telling the child 'I exist, I am here, in your life, the source of your creation, and I will always be there for you'

3. Our culture is subtly conveying to the mother-woman [who MAY be proud, in the happiness of a successful child-birth, that SHE is the source of the child's creation] NOT to forget that her husband is an equal partner in the creation! This is done through the ritual of naming the child BY the father [not the mother]

4. At a higher level, the father is also, through the words, the mantras and the slokas, making the GOOD part of his identity to flow into the child, in the hope and aspiration that the child will use it until it builds its own identity. [Remember, mother has had +/- 9 months to do it]

Let's see the 'WHY' behind each step of the ritual:
a. "...The father is asked to take his ring..." [The ring is worn on the left ring-finger, and research has shown that there is a direct connection between this finger and the heart, that there is one blood vessel that reaches the heart directly, SO the father is using an object that is closest to his heart to tell the child how dear the child is to him]

b. "...and dip it in the honey and taste it to the baby..." [The reasons and benefits are: i. the child is very young, and the safest item to enter a child's body through its mouth is honey, ii. the father is telling the child that they have chosen a sweet name for it, as sweet as the honey it is tasting and hope the child likes it and is proud of it, and they hope and pray that people will shower love and affection, call the child sweetly, and iii. the parents hope that the child will be sweet in thought, in words and in action, as sweet as the name chosen for it!

c. "...He also writes the baby's name on the rice..." [The father is telling the child that everyone is transient, like the name written on the rice, which will vanish if the plate is shaken, and everlasting fame and glory are achieved only through noble purpose, high thinking, and rightful action.]

d. "...and whispers the name in baby's ear..." [The father is telling the child that like a pot created by the Master-potter through him and wife, the child has come into this world, and now, the father is filling the pot/child with an identity. The father is telling the child 'your mother and I have created you, and I am giving you an identity, because in future someone may ask "who is your father?, whose child are you?", and you should be able to tell them with pride, "So-and-so is my father, I'm so-and-so's son!"

I apologise if I have given a long-drawn explanation for a one-line query of yours in your blog. I hope you found some value in my inputs.

BTW what's the child's name?

Inthi Nimma,

Vijay Sreshti

7 Jul 2008 3:20pm

@Vijay Sreshti: Applause to the details given here. Lot many times I find our customs interesting but failed to answer many questions. I am indebted for your time and effort you have taken to type in these things. Thanks a lot.

Sanjay M from Bengaloru, India

Really fascinating details shared here.

What's really important is that the father remembers those finer aspects of parenting, not just at that moment, but also during the moments when he's roused from his sleep after a hard day's work by a hungry kid :) and over the years, consciously and consistently maintaining the child a priority, perhaps deciding even to earn x percent lesser income compared to compromising time spent with the child (just an example)

7 Jul 2008 5:45pm

@Sanjay M: Ha Ha.. Sanjay, So true...
And also I think the income earned become so un-important infront of the time spent with the child.. but ya, we can't ignore the money part too..! :-)
Thanks !