Thousands of tiny tots across Kerala are being introduced to the world of letters on the occasion of Vijaya Dashmi.
The ritual is called 'Vidyarambham' or the beginning to the world of letters making the children a formal entry to literacy before admitting to primary schools.
The nine-day Navratri festival and the Vijayadashami day in Kerala is mainly dedicated to Goddess Saraswathi and is noted for the Vidyarambham ceremony.
Children in the age group of three to five attend various temples and cultural centres across the state with their parents to perform this ritual.
All most all the temples in Kerala make necessary arrangements for the smooth conduct of the ritual.
Since early morning, heavy rush of parents with their children is witnessed at Thiruvallakave in Thrissur and another temple Paravur Dakshina Mookambika near Kochi.
On this day, famous writers, teachers, scientists and artists are called upon to scribble their first letters with their fingers on rice-filled platters after invoking Saraswathi, the Goddess of art and learning and in some places children wrote their initial letters in sand.
The ritual begins with small children sitting on the lap of the guru (teacher) and the guru writes 'Hari Shree' on the child's tongue with a golden ring.
Then, the child writes 'Hari Shree Ganapathye Namaha' in Malayalam with the right index finger, with the help of the Guru, on a bed of raw rice.
Other important places where the Vidyarambham ceremony is held are the Kollur Mookambhika Temple, Paravur Dakshina Mookambika Temple, Panchikadu Saraswathi Temple, Thiruvallukavu, Chottanikara Devi Temple, Chottanikara.
Apart from temples many educational institutions, charitable organisations, cultural and media establishments across the city organise the Vidyarambham ritual marking the conclusion of the Navratri festival.