In Kerala, Vijayadashami is considered to be ‘Vidyarambham’ day, the auspicious occasion for initiating children into the realm of letters. Saraswati is the Maa of vidya, or knowledge and education. Therefore, in Kerala, students dedicate their books and study materials before the picture or murti of Maa Saraswati on Durgashtami evening and offer poojas. These poojas are repeated on Mahanavami morning and evening. The rituals culminate on Vijayadashami morning when the books are taken back, and students read a few lines from them as part of the ceremony.
Those who do not have proper facilities at their homes take the books to the temple for pooja, and they (the books) remain there until Vijayadashami morning.
Simultaneously, three to three and a half old children are initiated into the realm of the alphabet on Vijayadashami day. Senior ‘Acharyas’ like teachers, writers, artists, and other prominent citizens sit the child on their lap and make them write ‘Om Hari Shree Ganapathaye Nama:’ in the grains of rice spread on a platter. Acharya holds the index finger of the child and makes it to write. Then he writes the same on the child’s tongue with a gold ring. Through this, the child becomes ‘eligible’ to join play school or kindergarten. It has been practiced in Kerala for centuries. That is vidyarambham.
There are several Mandirs in Kerala that are famous for vidyarambam. They are Devi Mandirs with Maa Saraswati as the presiding deity. Panachikkaat Devi Mandir in Kottayam and Chottanikkara and Dakshin Mookambi Devi Mandir, Parur in Ernakulam district are the most prominent among them. There are hundreds of Mandirs throughout the state’s length and breadth, which hosts vidyarambham on Vijayadashami Day. The most prominent temple for Vidyarambham is still the Mookambika Mandir in Kolloor, Karnataka state. Thousands of Keralites flow to Kolloor on Vijayadashami day for darshan. A good number of them are going there for their children’s vidyarambham. Actors, writers and singers go to the Mookambika Mandir quite often. Legend says vidyarambham in Kolloor is not confined to Vijayadashami day alone. It is going on throughout the year.
In Kerala, not only Mandirs, but also several voluntary organisations conduct vidyarambham on their premises. Even though media houses like Malayala Manorama and Mathrubhumi started it in the media sector, later on, most print media houses and TV channel offices have been carrying out the same for the last few years. Several churches and schools are also conducting vidyarambhamin on their premises. Whichever the place, parents take it as an auspicious moment in the life of their children.
Keralites organise vidyarambham wherever they live in any part of the world. They do it within limited facilities even in countries with religious restrictions. Janam TV organised vidyarambham in the newly constructed BAPS Mandir in Abu Dhabi. Several children from all over the United Arab Emirates were initiated to the world of letters by former Defence Secretary Mohankumar, Janam Executive Chairman Sureshkumar and senior cine artist Menka Suresh, who were the prominent acharyas in Abu Dhabi Mandir.
Kerala Governor Dr Arif Mohammed Khan performed vidyarambham at Raj Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan performed vidyarambham, for six children, at Cliff House, the official residence of the Chief Minister.
In the meantime, General Education Minister V Sivankutty (CPM) performed vidyarambham, at his official residence, for a child. Reports suggest that he performed it sans ‘Om Harishree Ganapathaye Nama:’, thanks to his keenness to make it ‘secular’ ! Instead, he made the child write Amma (mother), Achan (father), Guru, etc.
RSS Kerala Pranth Karyalaya (State office) hosted vidyarambham too. There, M A Krishnan alias M A Sir, the senior most living Sangh Pracharak in the state, performed vidyarambham. M A Sir is a former Sanskrit teacher and founder of Balagokulam, the largest children’s movement in the entire world.
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