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Anna-prasana in the first feeding of
the child with solid food which has been previously consecrated by
offering it to various deities.
Upanayana or the sacrament of
initiation into higher life stands for taking the child to a teacher
for education. From the cultural point of view this is the most
important sacrament. The most striking feature of the Upanayana lies
in the belief that by its performance the initiate is given a
cultural and spiritual rebirth. It is a great advance over the
primitive types of initiation like the endurance test, temporary
seclusion or mutilation of the body still current among many
religious communities. |
