Thousands of Kerala kids learn first letter on Vijayadashmi

A priest performs the ritual to initiate the kid into the world of letters on the day of Vijayadashmi at a temple in Calicut, Kerala, on Friday.

Cutting across class, caste and religious lines, thousands of tiny tots were initiated into the world of letters on the auspicious occasion of Vijayadashmi (as Dussehra is called here) all over Kerala on Friday.
Although the ritual is borne from Hindu faith, it assumed a secular dimension in the state over the years, with a large number of people belonging to other religions also initiating their children into the world of learning on this day.
Clad in new clothes, children and their parents gathered in huge numbers in places of worship, schools and cultural and art centres and even media houses across the state where arrangements were made for the initiation ceremony. Eminent litterateurs, scholars, teachers, priests, politicians and other prominent figures helped the children write the Malayalam letters for the first time in platters filled with rice or on tongue with a golden ring.
The maximum crowd was witnessed at the Thunachan Paramabu near Trichur, which is considered as the home of Malayalam litterateur Thunchathu Ezhuthachan. Jnanpith award winner M.T. Vasudevan Nair was the key initiator at Thunchan Parambu. Temples, especially those dedicated to Saraswathy, the goddess of learning and art, like Panachikkadu Saraswathy Temple in Kottayam district and Mookambiba Temple in North Paravur in Ernakulam district also witnessed heavy rush from early morning itself.
Besides this, well known Hindu shrines like Sri Padmanabha Swami Temple and Guruvayur Sree Krishna Swamy Temple also witnessed heavy rush of devotees.
The auspicious day also saw many people start learning dance and music. Eminent musicians and dancers led the functions organised in many cultural centres across the state. The Vijayadasami day signifies the triumph of the good over evil and light over darkness. The Vidyarambam ceremony underlines the power of knowledge. Children in the age group 3 to 5 are made to participate in the ceremony.