Balazine January 2008

My Upanayanam in India
This summer my brother and I went to
India to get our upanayanam done.
First we had to travel from Chennai to
Tapovanam which is near Thiruvannamalai
in Tamilnadu.
The
next day we
took our bath
and were
dressed in
nice silk dhotis
and a garland
around
our neck.
There were
more than 11
scholars who
chanted the
Rudram 11
times to
bless the water in the kumbhams that
were set in the middle. Boy, I thought
we learnt a lot of shlokas as part of the
Shlokathon program, but these guys
were amazing! Later, all the family and
friends gathered outside around my
brother and me and poured water from
the kumbhams on us while everyone
cheered!
The next day was the actual day of
the upanayanam. We woke up really
early and the first thing that we had to
do was Kumarabhojanam. This means
breakfast with a friend on big banana
leaves! Then our heads were shaved except
for a small tuft of hair at the top.
My mom explained that this symbolizes
giving up all worldly attachments except
Balazine January 2008
for the guru during the student life.
I was asked to accept my grandpa
(who performed my upanayanam) as my
guru. We got to wear the sacred thread
across the shoulder. We sat on our
guru's lap and did the homam. We
washed our guru's feet and promised to
follow his teachings. We got our
panchapatram and uddharani (the small
cup and spoon to do sandhyavandanam
every day). Then the priest put a big
dhoti above our heads (my grandpa,
grandma, me and himself) and did the
Gayatri mantropadesam. This was the
initiation into the Gayatri mantra. We
went outside and looked at the sun god
through our fingers. Everyone congratulated
us and blessed us.
Then we went around and asked
for bhiksha in the most traditional way
from all the ladies in the hall signifying
that we will take alms everyday as a
student. From then on we have been
doing our sandhyavanadanam at least
twice every day.
I feel truly blessed to have got my
upanayanam done. I thank God and my
parents that I had this opportunity. I
like doing my sandhyavandanam as it
helps me calm down and I have learnt a
lot of mantras. I don't understand all
the mantras but I believe in them and
feel that they will help me and protect
me. I want to thank you all for allowing
me to share my experience with you.
Sriram Rajagopalan,
Grade 4, Session II