Temples for a child's first rites
Temples families traditionally visit for a child's first tonsure, ear piercing, first rice, naming and cradle vows. 6 listed here, including Palani Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple, Samayapuram Mariamman Temple, Vadapalani Andavar Temple, Thingalur Kailasanathar Temple.
Each entry is drawn from the sources at the foot of the page; legends are given as tradition tells them
These are traditional practices, not promises of results. Confirm timings and arrangements at the place or temple itself.
Families choose the day and time for these rites with their elders and priest. The general muhurtham days and each day's good time are linked below.
Mudi kaanikkai (first tonsure)
- Palani Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple Palani, Dindigul district The Dhandayuthapani temple on the hill at Palani in Dindigul district is one of the six Arupadai Veedu of Murugan.The Dindigul district website names tonsure as one of this temple's main traditions: devotees vow to give up their hair in the manner of the Lord of Palani. A news report says the tonsure is arranged only by the temple administration, at a dedicated centre near the temple.
- Samayapuram Mariamman Temple Samayapuram, Tiruchirappalli district The Samayapuram Mariamman temple, near Tiruchirappalli on the Chennai highway, is one of the best-known Amman shrines in Tamil Nadu.The HR&CE Department's own page for the temple lists the hair offering and the sugarcane cradle among its main vows, and the Dinamalar temple page likewise names tonsure and the sugarcane-cradle prayer among the vows fulfilled here. Devotees offer cradles made of sugarcane here.
- Vadapalani Andavar Temple Vadapalani, Chennai district The Vadapalani Andavar temple in Chennai is a Murugan shrine that grew up so that those who cannot travel to Palani could fulfil their vows here. Its sacred tree is the athi (fig).The temple's own history page names tonsure, ear piercing and the milk and flower kavadi among the vows devotees fulfil here, and Wikipedia says the same. The temple page adds that those praying for a child tie a small cradle on the sacred athi tree.
- Periyapalayam Bhavani Amman Temple Periyapalayam, Tiruvallur district The Bhavani Amman temple at Periyapalayam, on the Arani river in Tiruvallur district, is a well-known Amman shrine near Chennai that draws large crowds in Aadi and Avani.The Tiruvallur district website lists tonsure among the vows fulfilled here, along with wearing neem leaves, cooking pongal and angapradakshinam. A Dinakaran report says that on Aadi weekends people of every age, children included, offer their hair here.
- Tirumala Venkateswara Temple Tirumala, Tirupati district Tirumala, in Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh, is the hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara.Offering one's hair as a vow to Lord Venkateswara is a very widespread custom at Tirumala. It is done in dedicated complexes called Kalyana Katta, which the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams has decided to modernise as the number of devotees taking tonsure keeps rising. One report says more than 12 lakh devotees offered hair there in a single month.
Ear piercing (karna vedham)
- Vadapalani Andavar Temple Vadapalani, Chennai district The Vadapalani Andavar temple in Chennai is a Murugan shrine that grew up so that those who cannot travel to Palani could fulfil their vows here. Its sacred tree is the athi (fig).The temple's own history page names tonsure, ear piercing and the milk and flower kavadi among the vows devotees fulfil here, and Wikipedia says the same. The temple page adds that those praying for a child tie a small cradle on the sacred athi tree.
Annaprasanam (first rice)
- Thingalur Kailasanathar Temple Thingalur, Thanjavur district The Kailasanathar temple at Thingalur, near Thiruvaiyaru, is the Navagraha temple of Chandra (the Moon). It is well known for the annaprasanam, a child's first feeding of rice.The Dinamalar temple page and Wikipedia both describe the annaprasanam, a child's first rice, as this temple's special tradition. Dinamalar adds that the child is traditionally shown the moon and a cow before the first rice is fed, and lists the star days considered suitable.
Cradle vow (thottil)
- Samayapuram Mariamman Temple Samayapuram, Tiruchirappalli district The Samayapuram Mariamman temple, near Tiruchirappalli on the Chennai highway, is one of the best-known Amman shrines in Tamil Nadu.The HR&CE Department's own page for the temple lists the hair offering and the sugarcane cradle among its main vows, and the Dinamalar temple page likewise names tonsure and the sugarcane-cradle prayer among the vows fulfilled here. Devotees offer cradles made of sugarcane here.
- Vadapalani Andavar Temple Vadapalani, Chennai district The Vadapalani Andavar temple in Chennai is a Murugan shrine that grew up so that those who cannot travel to Palani could fulfil their vows here. Its sacred tree is the athi (fig).The temple's own history page names tonsure, ear piercing and the milk and flower kavadi among the vows devotees fulfil here, and Wikipedia says the same. The temple page adds that those praying for a child tie a small cradle on the sacred athi tree.
Sources
- Palani Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple dindigul.nic.in, hinduismtoday.com
- Samayapuram Mariamman Temple hrce.tn.gov.in, temple.dinamalar.com, temple.dinamalar.com
- Vadapalani Andavar Temple vadapalaniandavar.hrce.tn.gov.in, en.wikipedia.org
- Thingalur Kailasanathar Temple temple.dinamalar.com, en.wikipedia.org
- Periyapalayam Bhavani Amman Temple tiruvallur.nic.in, m.dinakaran.com
- Tirumala Venkateswara Temple deccanchronicle.com, test.uniindia.com, openstreetmap.org, wikidata.org