JANYA:

Janya refers to the scared thread ceremony in the Hindu culture, also known as the coming of age ceremony. It is a very significant occasion in the life of a hindu. This ceremony is intended to initiate the child to the intellectual and spitiual journey. The mother gives birth to the child, this is the natural birth but when the guru (teacher) gives initiation to the child by giving the Gayatri Mantra, it is considered a second birth of the child. The thread ceremony starts with the worship all the Gods and Goddesses. He then proceeds to reaffirming of the thought of becoming a bramachari by giving him kaupina (loin cloth) and a wooden stick. Then the most important part of the ceremony is placing the student with the scared thread. It denotes that one who wears the sacred thread should be pure in his thought, word and deed. Janya has three threads symbolizing three qualities namely reality, Passion, Inertia. The three strands are tied together which then symbolizes Bramha, Vishnu, and Shiva. After this the Havan is performed, the gayatri mantra is whispered in his ear by the priest and the student is sent off for begging for blessings. Once the Janya ceremony is performed on the child, he can then marry.