Annaprashana — First Solid Food

The first spoon of rice — the samskara that welcomes a child to the family table.

In the sixth to eighth month, when the child starts reaching for what the parents are eating, comes the day of Annaprashana. The pujari blesses a small bowl of payasam — cooked rice with milk, honey and yoghurt — and offers the first spoonful to the child.

The family is part of it: grandparents, siblings, godparents may each pass a spoon. We take photos if you'd like, and we serve the meal on banana leaves rather than plastic plates — so the first bite is as traditional as the occasion.

Preparation

  • Bring the child in traditional attire.

What to bring

  • Cooked rice (payasam), yoghurt, honey
  • Golden spoon (optional)