Upanayana sanskara ceremony in progress at Nepal. Typically, this ritual was for 8 year olds in ancient India, but is now practiced for all ages.[1]
Upanayana (IAST: Upanayanam) is one of the traditional saṃskāras (rites of passage) that marked the acceptance of a student by a guru(teacher) and an individual's entrance to a school in Hinduism. The tradition is widely discussed in ancient Sanskrit texts of India and varies regionally.[2] The sacred thread(yajnopavita or janeu) is received by the boy during this ceremony, that he continues wearing across his chest thereafter.
The upanayana was restricted in many medieval Indian texts to the upper three of the four varnas (castes) of society — brahmins, kshatriyas and vaishyas. However, Vedic period texts such as the BaudhāyanaGrihyasutra encouraged all members of society to undergo the upanayana, even (manual workers) shudras.[3][4][5] Women were encouraged to undergo upanayana in ancient India before they started Vedic studies or before their wedding.[6]
Etymology
Upanayana (Sanskrit: उपनयन) literally means "the act of leading to or near".[7] It is an important and widely discussed samskara in ancient Sanskrit text.[2] The rite of passage symbolizes the leading or drawing towards the self of a child, in a school, by a teacher.[7]It is a ceremony in which a guru (teacher) accepts and draws a child towards knowledge and initiates the second birth that is of the young mind and spirit.[2]
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