12. BAHUDHANYA

INTRODUCTION

Everyone had childhood. Are u looking back into it any time? Yes many a time. But I have written about it. Come have a look in Page 12.

Year 1943

CONTENTS

Introduction (message from me)        Page 1

Contents Page 2

Childhood                                                      Pages 3-6

CHILDHOOD

Childhood starts the moment we are born in this world. Our Ancestors have said this phase of life Childhood is a very important phase of life and is the sweetest phase and it should be enjoyed to the full extent. The parents show extra care, love and affection to the child right from its birth. Even the Grandparents, brothers and sisters, relations and nearest friends show extra care, love and affection towards the tiny tot.

Yes the child when its born has a tiny nose, mouth, enchanting eyes, fluffy cheeks, short and sweet ears, very delicate small hands feet and fingers so soft like butter and so sweet like sugar. Anyone who happens to see a sweet child born few days ago will be the same.

The mother of the child is so excited to see her child more so if it is her first born .The nurses at the hospital dress up the child after bathing it and wrap up in a clean white cloth before it is presented to the mother for breast feeding. The Mother when her baby first sucks the milk from her breast is a thrilling experience for her which she never forgets in her life time if it is her first baby.

The baby grows day after day month after month. Every moment of its growth is keenly watched by its parents. In earlier days grandparents are in the same house as it was joint family. The mother in law takes more care of the grandchild. The mother is allowed full rest for 3 months if not more. All household work will be taken care of by the mother in law.

The baby is given a bath with hot water in the morning before sunrise. Alternate days with oil bath are given. While the baby is given bath mostly by mother in law the baby's head is shaped round as it is flexible, hands and legs are straightened to avoid any deformity. After wiping the baby with clean cotton clothes, the baby is given a spray of smoke of sambrani powder sprinkled on charcoal fire. The baby is dressed up and given to mother for breast feeding.

My Grandmother who nursed almost all her 12 grandchild children was very proud and did not allowed any one near to nurse the babies.

 She was a specialist in taking care of babies till third month. My mother was very fortunate to have a mother in law like her, she was her second mother.

The baby grows moves hands and legs, smiles. attempts talk words, rolls, crawls,  starts moving by crawling, slowly tries to stand up, falls many times, gets to talk words attempts singing learns the signs of parents, laughs, cries,  and before its first year will be able to walk without aids talk small word, understand mothers talk laughs merrily to make mother excited and happy.

A Mundan ceremony is performed before the first year as per religious rituals. This is a ceremony where the full hair on head is shaved off so that fresh new hair is grown. The baby further grows both in height and weight. Mother starts giving solid food for its growth. The baby is taken care of by its brothers and sisters in olden days. Presently one or two child norms are practiced, the child is deprived of its brother or sister’s care, love and affection.

When the baby reaches two and half years it is sent to a nursery school. In olden days there was no schooling till 5 Th years. Before 5th year a ceremony is performed as per religious rituals known as Akshrabhyasa. The child writes the word Sri on a spread sheet of rice on a silver plate. The parents help the child to write the same and are presented with a slate and pencil. The invitees’ children are also presented with slate and pencil. New clothes are brought for the child on the occasion. The ceremony is followed by a heavy lunch to all the invitees. There after the child is admitted in a school.

Some of the more religious people take the child to Saraswathi temple at Basar near Nizamabad for this Akshrabhyasa ceremony even now.

The child now is conversant with people around it converses, plays, has its own likes and dislikes, and tries to understand what mother or teacher teaches. The brain of the child grows and stores all information and creates the power of recollecting. Daily the child learns the behaviours of other people and imitates with its innocent looks and actions giving immense pleasure and happiness to its parents.

The growth goes on till seventh year and the parents especially in Brahmin families perform the Upanayanam.

It is a thread ceremony where the child attains the stage of Brahma chary. He is provided with a sacred thread to wear across his shoulders. It comes in three layers. This stage allows him for all sacred rituals to perform.

The child is now a boy and is given the upadesam of Gayatri Mantra by the Purohit and the father. This Gayatri Mantra he recites daily as a part of his morning prayers This ceremony is almost like a marriage celebrated with all other aspects such as putting up a Pendal, Nadaswaram music, lunch and dinners almost a mini marriage going on for 3 days.

The boy is now conversant with the customs, religious rituals, prayers, traditional festivals in the house. He is now in school learns day by day names of days, Nakshatras, years, months, fairs and festivals, mathematics, social sciences, history and geography etc in the primary school.

This stage of life he with his local friends from neighbourhood starts games as per local customs. He spends his time in the evenings after school with them. He cultivates brotherhood, cooperation, language, and cooperates with all his friends in learning and playing different games.

During this period of life he has no responsibilities, tensions to worry about or any politics to play about. He is more a darling child in the family liked by all and he is allowed to express freely what he thinks and what he wants. It is more so now as there is only one child in the family in majority of cases.

He completes his primary school and comes to middle school. His wisdom and thinking power has increased reacts to accidents, pain in others, fellow friends sufferings, reacts with teachers at school, learns advance planning to attend school with clean dress, correct books completing his given home work.

Meanwhile knows the important ceremonies and rituals to be performed in the home, his relatives, birth days, marriage anniversaries, death ceremonies if any, and fairs and festivals.

The present day children have access to internet, computers, various devices, TV, telephone, cell phones, DVD players, music systems and other entertainment sources which we lacked in 1940s and 1950s. Valve Radios was the only sources and some rich families a Gramophone.

He completes his middle school and has a fair knowledge of his own, his family, friends, school and local environment. He is now 12 years of age getting into teens.

This portion of the life known as Childhood and everyone has passed, are passing and will pass in future.

How many of us who have passed this stage of our lives treat it as important? Is it better than Teenage, Adulthood, Family Life, or Old Age? It is every bodies guess. I leave it to you all to ponder and arrive at your own decisions.

Concept: Krishna Rao Khanapur

Graphics Support: Manu Konnur