Vidyarambha
Vidyāraṃbhaṃ
Hindu rite of passage for young children
Vidyarambham (Sanskrit: विद्यारम्भ, romanized: Vidyārambham, lit. 'commencement of studies'),[1] also rendered Akshara Abhyasam (Sanskrit: अक्षर अभ्यासम, romanized: Akṣara Abhyāsam, lit. 'repetition of words'), and Mutal Eluttu (Tamil: முதல் எழுத்து, romanized: Mut̬al Eḻuttu, lit. 'First word') is a Hindu initiation ceremony that is performed before a child begins their formal education. This ritual is dedicated to the goddess of learning, Saraswati.[2][3] It is popular in the South Indian states of Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana.