VIDYARAMBHAM CEREMONY-2011

VIDYARAMBHAM CEREMONY-2011

Tens of thousands of children in the state were initiated in to the world of letters on the auspicious Vidyarambhom day on Thursday,6th October,2011. While many parents took their children to temples and churches dedicated to god for the initiation ceremony. The children wrote the first letters of their lives,with elders guiding their fingers along the looping shapes of the letters that signified the start of a life long learning process before them.More than 4,100 tiny tots were initiated into the world of letters at one of the largest Vidyarambham functions held in the State at Thunchan Paramba, Tirur, on Thursday,6th October,2011. The organisers said Thunchan Paramba witnessed the largest turnout in recent years. The Vidyarambham ceremony started around 4 a.m. and continued into the afternoon hours as parents, holding their little children, made a beeline at the vanguard of the Malayalam language to have them script ‘Harisree' in rice. Vidyarambham at Thunchan Paramba, the home of Thunchath Ramanujan Ezhuthachan, the father of Malayalam poetry, is a prestigious function. Jnanpith laureate M.T. Vasudevan Nair led the Vidyarambham ceremony.

When writers like Alankode Leelakrishnan, P.K. Gopi, Manambur Rajanbabu, Kilimanur Madhu, Isaac Eapen, B.M. Zuhara, K.P. Sankaran, Sreedharanunni, and K.P. Ramanunni introduced the children to the world of letters at the Saraswathi Mandapam, traditional Acharyas did their job at the Krishnasila Mandapam. The writers contributed the offerings or dakshina they got to the Thunchan Memorial Trust. People formed long queues in front of Saraswati and Krishnasila Mandapams hours before the ceremony started at 4 p.m. All lodgings in and around Tirur had been occupied as people from distant places reached Tirur on Wednesday evening.

The crowd swelled by morning as all roads led to Thunchan Paramba. Elaborate arrangements were made for smooth conduct of the annual ceremony. A large posse of policemen helped control the crowd. Dozens of poets, established and budding alike, presented their latest poems at Thunchan Paramba at an exclusive Vidyarambham of poets. Alankode Leelakrishnan inaugurated the function. Among those who recited poems were Manambur Rajanbabu, P.K. Gopi, G.K. Rammohan, Arya Gopi, and Radhamani Ayinkalam. The poets' Vidyarambham at Thunchan Paramba has a long tradition. Poets like Vyloppilly, N.N. Kakkad and Kunjunni had presented their verses there. Jnanpith laureate M.T. Vasudevan Nair initiating a child into the world of letters at Thunchan Paramba in Malappuram district on Thursday.

In a ceremony called "Vidyarambham", thousands of tiny tots in Kerala were Thursday initiated into the world of learning - originally a Hindu practice that has now become popular among the state's Christians as well.Children thronged temples, churches, clubs and other places. The ceremony saw academics, litterateurs, teachers and even politicians hold the hands of the young ones to help them write Malayalam letters on a plate of rice or on sand.
Originally perceived as a Hindu event, for the last few years it has taken place at churches, with the local priest or a guest invited by the church helping the children write.While Hindus write "Hari Sree Ganapathaye Namaha" in praise of Lord Ganesha, Christians write "Sree Yesu Mishihaye", hailing Jesus Christ. Then, using a gold ring, a Malayalam word is written on the child's tongue by those who helped the child write. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy led the event here while others who turned teachers included veteran film personalities Adoor Gopalakrishnan, M.T. Vasudevan Nair and Shaji N. Karun, doctors like B. Iqbal and K. Mohan Das, eminent jurists like K.T. Thomas and Cyriac Thomas and academics like Jancy James and T.R.S. Iyer. The maximum crowds were witnessed at Thunchan Paramabu near Thrissur, the home of Malayalam litterateur Thunchathu Ezhuthachan.
"The function begins before sunrise and goes on till lunch time. Like every year, this time also the maximum crowds have turned up here," said an official attached to the establishment.Among the shrines which see big crowds is the Saraswathy temple, situated at Panachikkadu in Kottayam district. This temple is also known as the 'Dakshina' Mookambika Temple and every year the numbers have been going up. The enthusiasm was palpable, considering that Kerala is one of India's most literate states.

Hundreds of children were initiated into the world of letters at the 14 centres of Malayala Manorama by scribbling their first letters on Vijayadasami day Thursday. The kids also received gifts aplenty. At the Kottayam office of Manorama 1300 students participated in the 'Ezhuthiniruthu' ritual of writing their initial letters. Justice K.T. Thomas, Dr Jancy James, film director Shaji N. Karun, Prof. T.R.S. Iyer, B.S. Warier, K.P. Dandapani and B. Iqbal were among the gurus who helped the kids to write their first letters. At the Palakkad unit of Manoraama 617 students wrote their first letters. That is more than 70 kids more when compared to the figures last year. Justice M.N. Krishnan, Kottakkal Gopi Nayar, Dr K.G. Ravindran, Dr C.P. Chithra and Dr. P. Murali were the gurus here.At the Kollam unit 913 students took their first writing lesson. The following are the figures at some other centres: Kannur-285, Delhi 131, Malappuram-345, Thiruvananthapuram 1228 and Kochi-895.

Thousands of children in Kerala entered the world of learning by scribbling their first letters on Vijayadasami day Thursday, marking the culmination of the Navaratri festival. Early Thursday morning, children, mostly aged two to three, along with their parents gathered at temples, schools, libraries, cultural centres and media houses to perform the 'Ezhuthiniruthu' ritual of writing their initial letters, invoking blessings of Saraswati, Goddess of Learning and Art. Transcending religious barriers, Christian and Muslim children also underwent the ritual in many parts of the state. The auspicious occasion has for centuries been observed by Keralites as 'Vidyarambham', the beginning of learning. Teachers, writers, artists, film personalities and senior politicians helped the tots write their first letters "Hari..Sree.." in platters filled with rice.

 Chief Minister Oommen Chandy initiated some tots at a ceremony at Vayloppilli Samskrithi Bhavan in the state capital. In some churches, priests made the children write a couple of lines of verses from the Bible. Hundreds of Malayali children also had their initiation not only in temples in Kerala, but also in shrines outside the state like Kollur Mookambika temple in South Karnataka. Essentially a Hindu custom, the increasing response to 'Vidyarambham' from people from other faiths is seen as a sign of the cultural vibrancy of a society that gives great importance to the education of its children and considers human resources as its biggest asset. There was a heavy rush at Thunchanparampu in Malappuram district, the hallowed home of medieval poet Ezhuthachan, revered as the father of Malayalam literature.

                                                                                            Prof. John Kurakar