Significance Of Aksharabhyasam

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In the Hindu religion, every occasion is celebrated with auspiciousness and purity. 'Aksharabhyasam' is one such occasion that denotes the starting of writing for a child. Read along to know the significance of Aksharabhyasam.

From an ancient time, education has been given the top priority in India and, therefore, every Indian believes that being educated means you are worshipping Goddess Saraswati.

Also Read: Invoke The Blessings of Goddess Saraswati

Aksharabhyasam is the amalgamation of two words - 'akshar' meaning letter and 'abyasam' meaning practice.

The day a child is given the commencement of education is known as 'Aksharabhyasam'. On that day, people also worship Goddess Saraswati.

This ritual is famous throughout many states in India, especially in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. In Bengal, this ritual is also known as 'Haate Khori'.

In many households, this ritual is celebrated with lots of fun and enjoyment. But, have you ever thought of the significance of Aksharabhyasam?

Knowing the importance of performing any ritual makes you more dedicated towards it. So, here is the significance of Aksharabhyasam. Have a look.

1. Initiation Of Education: Education is the most important thing in every human being's life. Stepping into the world of education means that the vast world of knowledge and wisdom opens to you. So, you can celebrate the day by worshipping Goddess Saraswati.

2. Enumerate Victory: In several states, Aksharabhyasam is performed on Vijaya Dashami, as the day symbolizes victory. It can be victory over the darkness of illiteracy and nescience. This is the significant day when the three Shaktis: iccha, kriya and gyan, combine and these three are necessary to carry on your knowledge.

3. Teaching Of Alphabets: Kids are made to write letters on this day. They learn how to write alphabets and also their name. Thus, they slowly figure out how to make a sentence and finally how to express their thoughts. You can say, this day marks the initiation of giving a shape to your kid's thoughts.

4. Significance Of "Om" Symbol: "Om" is the beginning of anything and also the end. It is the sign of eternity. So, it is quite natural that Aksharabhyasam of a kid is started by making him/her write this symbol. It is also considered as 'Beejakshar' in Sanskrit, which means the origin of everything.

5. The Kid Writes On Sand/Rice: Initially, the child was made to write the "Om" symbol on sand, especially when he/she was in gurukul. Nowadays, kids are made to write on the rice grains, spread on a tray. In Bengal, kids are made to write on a slate with a chalk.

In the Vedic age, the Upanayana was the time when Aksharabhyasam was also performed. Then, the age of a child had to be five to perform Aksharabhyasam. With the advancement of education system, now the kids are made to write their first letter at the age of three.