The father may part the hair of the mother three times upward from the front to the back, to assure the ripening of the embryo. Charms may serve toward off the evil eye and witches or demons. At birth, before the umbilical cord is severed, the father may touch the baby's lips with a gold spoon or ring dipped in honey, curds, and ghee. The word vak (speech) is whispered three times into the right ear, and mantras are chanted to ensure a long life. A number of rituals for the infant include the first visit outside to a temple, the first feeding with solid food (usually cooked rice), an ear-piercing ceremony, and the first haircut (shaving the head) that often occurs at a temple or during a festival when the hair is offered to a deity. …show more content…
It is usually held on the twelfth day of the child's birth, though, according to one convention, it can be held on any day after the tenth day, and before the first birthday. The twelfth day is also when the child's horoscope is formally drawn up. The first ten days after birth are considered an 'impure' time for the mother and child. On the twelfth day, the mother and child are given a ritual bath. The mother swathes the baby in a piece of new cloth, applies kajal to its eyes, and makes a little beauty mark on the