5th of 16h sanskars – ceremony to name the newly born child. Name has a lasting significance on the child’s life. A thoughtful name depicting high ethics and moral values becomes a goal in itself for the child to pursue through lifetime.
The Naming Ceremony of a child is a significant occasion for his parents. In the Hindu religion, this ritual is called Naamkaran Sanskar, one of the crucial sacraments of all sixteen Sanskaras. According to different communities, it is performed at different times. Some perform Naam Karan Sanskar on the 12th or 10th day of birth, and some perform on the 6th or 28th day of birth. The day of this ceremony is not a very important part because the essence lies in celebrating the first Sanskar after the birth by providing a suitable official name to the human baby.
It usually involves parents, grandparents, and all the other close relatives and friends who mutually decide the right name for the baby. In addition, some communities require priests who can help them to perform this ceremony correctly with religious rituals.
In some parts, it is classified as the chatthi ceremony, and it happens in the evening before midnight. In this, women gather in the same room, and on the 6th day of birth, they lit the lamp and write the baby’s name on the plain white cloth with the red ink. Because according to some beliefs, on the 6th day, the god of destiny- Vidhata, comes home and secretly writes the baby’s destiny.
‘Naam’ means ‘name’ and ‘Karan’ means ‘to create’; therefore, no matter how different the rituals are, the significance of Naamkaran Sanskar is to create the right name for a baby with all the divine energy and blessings.
