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Malayalam festival

Vidyarambham — വിദ്യാരംഭം

vidyāraṁbhaṁ

September–October · Vijayadashami, the end of Navaratri

In Kerala, Navaratri ends with Vidyarambham — the initiation of young children into letters. On Vijayadashami a teacher or elder guides the child's finger to write "hariśrī" in a plate of rice, and writes it on the tongue with a gold ring. Books and tools, laid down for Saraswati puja (poojavaypu) on Durgashtami, are taken up again the same morning.

Greetings in Malayalam

  • വിജയദശമി ആശംസകൾ

    vijayadaśami āśaṁsakaḷ

    "Happy Vijayadashami!"

    universal

  • ഹരിശ്രീ ഗണപതയേ നമഃ

    hariśrī gaṇapatayē namaḥ

    "The first words a child writes"

    during ezhuthiniruthu

Customs & traditions

  • ✦Ezhuthiniruthu — a child's first writing of letters in rice
  • ✦Poojavaypu — placing books before Saraswati on Durgashtami
  • ✦Crowds at temples such as Panachikkad and the Thunchan Parambu, Tirur

Traditional foods

  • അവിൽ

    avil

    Beaten rice with jaggery and coconut — a common offering

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