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  Naming
Ceremony
Namakaran
Namakaran,
or naming of the child, is the first real ceremony held for the newborn
child. It is usually held on the twelfth day of the child's birth,
though, according to one convention, it can be held on any day after the
tenth day, and before the first birthday.
The twelfth day is also when the child's horoscope is
formally drawn up.
The first ten days after birth are considered an
'impure' time for the mother and child. On the twelfth day, the mother
and child are given a ritual bath. The mother swathes the baby in a
piece of new cloth, applies kajal to its eyes, and makes a little
beauty mark on the cheek.
The
baby is then placed in the father's lap to be blessed. The priest offers
prayers to all the gods and to Agni, the god of fire and the
purifying factor, the elements, and the spirits of the forefathers, and
entreats them to bless and protect the child. He also places the sheet
on which the child's horoscope is written, in front of the image of the
deity, for its blessings.
Then, the father leans towards the baby's right ear,
and whispers its chosen name. Usually, the father does not whisper
directly into the child's ear, but uses a betel leaf or its silver
imprint, or a few leaves of kusa grass to direct the words to the
child's ear.
The Rig Veda prescribes the formula of giving
a name with four components: the nakshatra name, the name of the
deity of the month, the family deity's name, and the popular name by
which the child will generally be addressed.
This system, however, is rarely followed these days.
The usual practice is to give one formal name and, if necessary, a short
name by which the child will be called.
Some people coin a suitable name from a combination
of the parents' names. In certain communities, the first child is named
after the paternal grandparent; in others, the first son is given the
same name as the father. Sometimes, the baby is named after the nakshatra,
or star, of its birth. The child could also be named after the family
deity or guru.
After the naming ritual is over, friends and
relatives who have come for the ceremony then bless the child and touch
some honey or sugar to its lips. It is a moment of all-round happiness
if the baby smacks its lips.
Azaan
Azaan
is the first call to prayer for Muslims. It is first given when a
child is born.
After the child is given a bath, an elderly member of
the family or neighbourhood, or the moulvi, is invited to recite
the azaan. He recites the azaan in the child's right ear
and the Iqamat in the left ear.
The words of azaan are as follows:
Allahu Akbar (four times), Asyhadu allaa
ilaaha illallah (twice), Asyhadu anna Muhammadun-rasulullah (twice), Hayya
'alas-shalah (twice), Hayya 'alal falaah (twice),
Allahu Akbar (twice), Laa ilaaha illallah.
(God is the greatest. I avow that only God is
adorable. I avow that only God is fit to be worshipped. I avow that
Mohammed is God's prophet. Come for prayer. Come to get goodness, come
to get success. God is the greatest. Only God is fit to be worshipped.)
For the Iqamat, the words Qad qamatissalah
are recited twice at the end, asking the person to stand up since prayer
is about to begin.
The reason why the azaan is recited to the
child is that as soon as he is born, the first thing he should hear is
God's name and the call for His worship.
At this time, a tiny bit of a date chewed by the
elder of the family or community is placed in the child's mouth,
signifying the hope that the child would absorb the good qualities of
the elder.
At the end of the recital of the azaan, sweets
are distributed among those present at the occasion.
The custom of reciting azaan to a newborn
child was started by Prophet Mohammed.
The azaan is also routinely given from
mosques, as a general call for Muslims to assemble for prayer.
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