Thread of change through 'Upanayana'

Another highlight of the ceremony is that the priests for the ritual were also women.
Maheshwari and Kshema presided over the ‘upanayana’ of the daughters of Vinod, a bank employee and Anupama Hegde.

The girls were taught the ‘Gayatrimantra,’ ‘sandhyavandane,’ ‘agnihotri,’ ‘suryanamaskar’ and other rituals.

The parents said that change was happening in all fields and hence, they decided to perform ‘upanayana’ for their daughters.

Vedic scholar Maheshwari said: “The couple, by holding ‘upanayana’ for girls for the first time in Mysore, have initiated a new tradition.”

Study of vedas and chanting hymns will help girls improve their memory and concentration, she added.

The girls would have to change their threads on the day of ‘upakarma’ every year, she said.
Prithvi and Prerana said they found the study of Vedas and manthras interesting after the thread ceremony.