The Upanayana Sanskaar, also called the Janew Sanskaar or sacred thread ceremony, is a Hindu rite-of-passage. Traditionally, the ceremony is performed to mark the point at which a young Brahmin boy or Brahmachari is invested with the sacred thread by his Guru and becomes qualified to begin his formal education in the path of Upurohiti Karma or Panditai and other spiritual practices. He is now qualified to seek learning under his Guru, the spiritual teacher.
Wearing the sacred thread or the janew, for me, would be one of the most important symbols in my life as a Hindu, because this identifies me as a Brahmin. It qualifies me to learn, practise and continue this great tradition of Upurohiti Karma that was set down by my my Aaja, my Nana, my Daddy and so many others. It gives me the opportunity to study and understand the secrets of the Scriptures and perform havan under the guidance of my Guru.
Another major duty apart from doing havan is called yagya or sacrifice; that means, having trained under the guidance of my Guru I would gain knowledge and skills. I would be able to stand on my feet and use the knowledge and skills for the benefit of society. This is the original purpose of education, which has become polluted today.
It gives me the opportunity to perform the six duties, Chhah Dharma, of a Brahmin. These are:
- To accept charity and give charity
- Read Scriptures for myself and read for others
- Do yagya for myself and do yagya for others.
So for these reasons and many, many more, I would be proud as a young Brahmin boy to wear my Janew which is a symbol that identifies me as a Hindu.
Jai Swaha Mata.
By Keshav Maharaj, SWAHA Bhakti Jyot Mandali
Twelve Years and Under Category
SWAHA Public Speaking Competition 2018: Why I Am Proud To Wear My Hindu Symbols
