Naamkaran Ceremony - The Naming Ceremony of Baby

Naamakarana Ceremony is the naming ceremony of a child after its birth. It is also known as "Barasala". This ceremony is a religious ritual practiced by most Orthodox Hindu families. It usually takes place on the 12th day of the child.

After the birth of a child, male or female, the child and the mother are kept in seclusion for 11 days. Most of the orthodox communities believe this period to be an inauspicious time and treat the mother to be impure and unhygienic. But, the fact is otherwise. Both the mother and the child are protected from infections. This tradition of keeping them in seclusion for 11 days is practiced to protect the child who is very sensitive and needs to adjust to the external environment after coming out from the womb. 

Only a close relative (preferably the grandmother, maternal/paternal, will attend to the needs of the child and the mother during these 11 days.

Generally, the baby becomes habituated to the external environment by the 11th day. After the 11th day, he/she can come out of the protected atmosphere and mingle with the family and neighbors.

So, this naamkaran ceremony is held on the 12th day inviting family members/relatives and the neighbors. Some people may celebrate it on the 16th or 21st day.

How to Perform the Naamkaran Ritual

On the 11th and 12th day after the child's birth, the mother and the child are given oil baths. They are offered sambrani/loban dhoop and dress in new clothes.

A priest/pundit is booked for the ceremony in advance. Neighbors, relatives, and close friends are invited to the ceremony. The entire house is washed and decorated for the occasion.

• The child is adored in new clothes on the 12th day. A thread (usually black or red) is tied around the baby's waist and a black spot is made on the cheek and/or forehead of the baby (with kajal/kohl/kaatuka) to protect it from evil spirits. (For your information, I wear a black thread even now at the age of 72 years. I keep changing it every 5 years or so.)
• At the time of the ceremony, the mother, father, and close relatives sit at the sanctum sanctorum. The baby is held by the mother in her lap.
• The Preist may perform "Udaka Santhi" puja at first to purify the house. A sacred fire is ignited and Vedic hymns are recited invoking Gods to purify water kept in a steel pot. The water is then sprinkled all over the house and on the heads of the people gathered there.
• The naamakarana ritual involves the calculation of the tides and positions of the nine planets known as nava grahas, and performing shanti puja. Using the astrological rules, the priest calculates what the first letter of the baby's name should be. The father or grandfather suggests a name using that letter and the others may approve it or suggest modifications. But, the final choice depends on the decision of the parents and grandparents of the baby.
• The name is, thereafter, written by the father on a plate filled with rice. The mother of the baby will hold his hand while it gets written.
• The name is whispered into the right ear of the baby (covering the other ear with a betel leaf). The procedure gets repeated to the left ear also.
• After the ceremony is complete, the baby is put into a cradle so that all guests can have access to the baby to greet him/her.
• Each guest, present there, will utter the name one by one.
• Thereafter, Puja prasadam is distributed among the gathering.
• Guests may gift the baby and the parents if they wish.
• Dinner/banquet may be arranged for the guests, or satisfy with sweets distribution.

This is the main procedure of performing the naamkaran ceremony. You may simply or elaborate it according to your convenience.