Sitting on her mother’s lap, two-and-a-half-year-old Dhara Sadhvi was initiated into the world of letters at their apartment in Kaloor on the occasion of Vijayadashami on Monday.
In the company of her parents and grandparents, the child wrote her first letters on a platter of rice without raising any objections. “We had promised to initiate her into the world of knowledge at a temple in Thrissur as an offering. However, we dropped the plan considering the restrictions in place in view of the pandemic. We consulted the temple and followed all the rituals,” said Meenu Nidhun, the child’s mother.
A majority of parents followed the same path as most places of worship did away with the customary Vidyarambham rituals in the wake of COVID-19 spread.
Technology-driven events were also held in compliance with physical distancing norms. Sukrutham, an Ernakulam-based organisation, joined hands with Bhagavatham Village in Chalakudy to introduce children to the world of letters through an online meeting.
“Around 20 children participated in the hour-long event in which Swami Udit Chaithanya played the role of guru. Parents had arranged everything associated with the event at their homes and wrote the first letters on their wards’ tongues using gold rings immersed in honey. Without hot and humid conditions and with no strangers around, it proved to be a smooth initiation for the children,” said Sunil Illam, vice president of Sukrutham.
The famed Dakshina Mookambika Temple at North Paravur, usually thronged by thousands of devotees on Vijayadashami day, had a scaled-down ceremony to mark the occasion. From the regular list of gurus, the temple only roped in those aged below 65 years this time.
“We strictly followed the COVID-19 protocol and did not let devotees into the nalambalam, with the event restricted to the makeshift pandal outside. Not more than 600 children took part in a function that lasted over six hours from 5 a.m.,” said P.D. Pushpalatha, a temple office bearer.
The Chottanikkara Bhagavathy Temple did away with all Vidyarambham ceremonies. “It was a big loss both for us and the devotees, many of whom were saddened by the decision to cancel the event. There was no other alternative since we could not have controlled the event,” said an office bearer.
The Ernakulam Siva Temple had no official event, though some parents chose to conduct the ceremony at the temple’s Saraswathy Mandapam. “Only a percussion performance by child artistes was held to mark the occasion,” said Rajendraprasad T., president of the temple committee.