Annaprāśana
अन्नप्राशन
Also written: annaprashana · annaprāśana · annaprashana sanskar · annaprashana ceremony
Annaprāśana (अन्नप्राशन) is the seventh of the sixteen saṃskāras. The first solid food — the beginning of independence from the mother's body.
| Number | 7 of 16 |
| Stage of life | Childhood |
| Performed | Sixth to eighth month |
| Purpose | The first solid food — the beginning of independence from the mother's body. |
What the rite is and why
The child is given its first cooked food, traditionally rice with ghee, honey and curd, fed by the father or maternal uncle with mantras invoking Anna — food itself as a deity.
A ceremony often follows in which objects are placed before the child — a book, a coin, a tool, an implement — and the first one chosen is taken as a sign of inclination. It is done in play, but it encodes a serious idea: that svabhāva shows itself early.
The timing matches modern paediatric guidance on the introduction of solids almost exactly.
Where it stands today
Very widely observed — annaprāśana in the north and east, choroonu in Kerala, mukhe bhāt in Bengal.
The sixteen Saṃskāras
From before conception to the final fire: the sixteen refinements that mark a human life, what each one actual…
Garbhādhāna
Garbhādhāna — the first saṃskāra, performed before conception. The conscious invitation of a life, rather than…
Puṁsavana
Puṁsavana — the second saṃskāra, performed third or fourth month of pregnancy. Protection and healthy developm…
Sīmantonnayana
Sīmantonnayana — the third saṃskāra, performed sixth to eighth month. The mother's wellbeing, and the child's …
Jātakarma
Jātakarma — the fourth saṃskāra, performed at birth, before the umbilical cord is cut. Welcoming the child, an…
Nāmakaraṇa
Nāmakaraṇa — the fifth saṃskāra, performed eleventh or twelfth day after birth. The giving of the name — an id…
Last revised 2026-08-16. Corrections are welcome — see how this site is written.