Shashi Tharoor marks Vijay Dashami by participating in Vidyarambham ritual

Dressed in traditional attire, children were seen sitting on their parents’ lap while the minister took their hands to trace the alphabets on the grains to mark the special moment.

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Although the ritual is usually celebrated in a grand way in large numbers owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, limited number of children were for participation this year. (Source: Shashi Tharoor/ Twitter)

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor’s pictures with small children taken on the occasion of ‘Vidyarambham’, held on Vijay Dashami, have created a buzz online.

In Kerala, people perform “ritualistic initiation” of children to education and art forms like singing and dancing on the auspicious occasion of Vijay Dashami/Dussehra. As part of the rituals, children are guided by priests or scholars in temples to write alphabets on rice grains.

“Started Vijaya Dashami day in the right spirit, honouring learning as the way to overcome the forces of darkness,” the Thiruvananthapuram MP wrote while sharing a few images on his social media handles.

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He said that the children were brought to his home for the ritual and added that “I traced with their little fingers the words ‘Om Shri’ in three scripts.”

Started VijayaDashami day in the right spirit, honouring learning as the way to overcome the forces of darkness. A number of toddlers were brought home to be initiated in writing. As I do every year in Tvm, I traced w/their little fingers the words “Om Shri” in three scripts. pic.twitter.com/RQA9hUVHio

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) October 15, 2021

“Not all the toddlers were all happy to be force-fed their literacy by a stranger, but most were caught up in the mood of ‘Vidyarambham’ and their parents’ enthusiasm! (sic)” he added.

pic.twitter.com/kZU6FWXlEh

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) October 15, 2021

He later shared some more pictures from another such event and said, “The crowds outside testified to a Kerala reality: the yearning for learning trumps fear of the virus.”

After Vidyarambham w/a dozen little ones at home, moved to my usual spot at the Saraswati Mandapam, but w/ Covid restrictions limiting numbers strictly to ten. Still the crowds outside testified to a Kerala reality: the yearning for learning trumps fear of the virus. pic.twitter.com/CaEqASXylO

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) October 15, 2021

Dressed in traditional attire, children were seen sitting on their parents’ lap while the minister took their hands to trace the alphabets on the grains to mark the special moment.

The ceremony, which is performed for a child between the age of two to five years, is hosted at temples and schools, among other places.

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