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This is a picture of a hindu bengali boy child having his first rice-eating ceremony (Annaprashana). This ceremony is usually performed during the sixth or the eighth month of the boy's birth. Symbolically during this ceremony the baby is introduced to solid food, in the form of payash [kheer], after the food is offered to God and his ancestors are offered Anna-jal (the late ancestors are offered cooked rice and water).

The baby is wearing the typical bengali attire for men/boys when they are the central person in the ceremony. The traditional bengali grooms also wear the same attire. He is wearing a dhoti, and a white silk kurta. There is a body-cloth [Uttariya] made out of the same cotton fabric as the dhoti on his upper body. On his head he is wearing 'Topor'--this is a typical headdress worn by grooms also. The Topor is made out of shola, a plant material very light and very much like bullrush that is used in many bengali handicrafts, even in making Idols of Durga and Saraswati.

The yellow mark on his forehead is haldi. It is auspicious to bathe the baby by rubbing him with haldi and mustard oil first. The bathing ceremony is also very ritualistic in bengali ceremonies like Annaprashana and weddings. He has sandalwood paste markings [Chandan] on his forehead as a ritualistic decoration. Over and above everything, a flower garland, usually made out of white fragrant flowers is a must for occasions like this.

For a girl child, the dhoti-kurta would be substituted by a red benarasi saree and a red blouse and oRnaa [a transparent dupatta], and the Topor would be replaced by a 'Mukut', made of the same material, but smaller, flatter and more dainty looking.

Credits

Pictures of Adris sankar are provided by his father Gouri Sankar.

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