The Eight Rites of Passage or Ashta Samskara - Hinduism Basics for Children

From Dancing with Siva by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami

Sacraments are performed to celebrate and sanctify life's crucial junctures, inform family and community, and secure inner-world blessings. Here are eight of the essential rites or 'samskaras.'

6. Upanayana – Sacred Thread Ceremony

The ceremonial investment of the "sacred thread" and inititation into Vedic study, performed in the home or temple, usually between the ages of 9 and 15, after which a youth is considered "twice born."

Reproduced with permission from Himalayan Academy Publications. Parents and educators may visit minimela.com to purchase many of these resources at a very low cost, for distribution in your community and classes.

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• Namakarana – Name Giving Ceremony
• Anna Prasana – Beginning of Solid Food
• Karnavedha – Ear Piercing
• Chudakarana – Head Shaving
• Vidyarambha – Beginning of Education
• Upanayana – Sacred Thread Ceremony
• Vivaha - Marriage
• Antyeshti – Funeral or Last Rites

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