KOCHI: For the second consecutive year, there will not be elaborate Vidyarambham celebrations in view of Covid restrictions. Vidyarambham, the ritual of initiating children into the world of letters, is held on Vijayadasami day which marks the culmination of Navaratri festivities.
Temples and social organisations usually conduct elaborate functions where lakhs of children are initiated into the world of letters. Social organisations used to organise functions where prominent personalities write the first letters on the tongue of the child using gold ring dipped in honey. At temples priests used to conduct the function.
This time the Travancore Devaswom Board has granted permission to temples to conduct the function as a low-key affair. As per Covid restrictions, priests will not conduct the ceremony and parents have to seat children on their laps and guide them in writing the first letters. At Chottanikkara Devi temple, the temple will provide rice in arecanut leaf plates in which the parents can make kids write the first letters.
The Guruvayur Devaswom has decided not to conduct the ceremony this time. At Thunchan Parambu, in Tirur, there will not be any function this time. However, at Panachikkadu Saraswathi Temple, around 4,000 people have booked for Vidyarambham virtually. The bookings were made through Apna Q app. The function will start at 4am and parents can sit in the mandapam and initiate the children into the world of knowledge following the instructions of the temple priest.