Introduction
When a baby of six or seven months starts reaching for the plates of the grown-ups, the family begins to talk of annaprashan. In Bengal it is "mukhe bhaat", in Kerala "choroonu", in North India "pasni" or annaprashan. The names differ; the feeling is the same: the baby is joining the family meal.
First of all: your family's kul tradition comes first. Some hold it at a temple, some at home; in some families the maternal uncle feeds the first bite, in others the grandparents. Follow your own custom.
Which month
The Muhūrta-cintāmaṇi (Saṁskāra-prakaraṇa, verse 17) gives:
- For a boy: the 6th or 8th month (even months)
- For a girl: the 5th or 7th month (odd months)
The same text puts the time before noon, and common practice prefers a day in Shukla paksha. The pandit matches the tithi, weekday and nakshatra from the panchang; the Riktā tithis and Bhadra are usually left aside.
Doctor first, then the muhurta
Let this be clear: when solid food starts is for the doctor to decide, not the muhurta. Doctors usually advise starting solids at about 6 months, but every baby is different.
If the traditional month comes before the doctor's advice, as a girl's 5th month may, there are two simple paths:
- Hold the samskara in the 7th month.
- Or hold it in the 5th month and keep the first bite symbolic: touch a clean spoon to the lips. Start real solids when the doctor says.
Both paths are entirely fine.
The first bite: symbolic, small and safe
The first bite of annaprashan is symbolic. The aim is a blessing, not a full tummy.
- Often a thin rice kheer is made. Keep it very soft, lukewarm, and free of nut pieces.
- No honey in it, and very little sugar.
- The tip of a spoon is enough. If the baby turns away, don't insist.
- The festive dishes are for the grown-ups; give the baby only what the doctor has approved.
Traditionally the food is first offered to God and Ganesha is remembered (ॐ गं गणपतये नमः) before the bite is given.
The object-choosing game
In many homes a book, a pen, some earth, a coin and other things are set before the baby to see what is picked first. This is folk belief (लोक मान्यता) and a sweet game, not a prediction. Whatever the baby picks, everyone laughs and claps. Never leave small things like a coin or a ring within the baby's reach unattended.
सुरक्षा पहले (Safety first)
- Doctor first: for the baby's health, feeding or any discomfort, the doctor is the first help. A muhurta can always move to fit the doctor's advice.
- Nothing in the baby's mouth: don't put anything in the baby's mouth that the doctor hasn't approved. No honey at all before the first birthday; keep ghutti, coins and rings away from the mouth.
- No tight thread on the neck: never tie a black thread or cord tightly around the neck. If you wish, a loose thread on the wrist, with an adult watching.
- Sterile tools for ear-piercing: if karnavedh is done, only sterile tools and trained hands.
- No gems on babies: no gems, stones or heavy jewellery on small children.
- New foods: any new food on the doctor's advice, one at a time.