Baby's first solid meal- 'Choroonu' ceremony in Kerala

For Hindus in Kerala, 'choroonu' ceremony marks the first solid meal for babies. Choroonu ceremony (Annaprashan) marks the introduction of first solid food to a baby. This is held in a temple usually. We can book it (like weddings and other functions in temples) earlier itself, especially in the more famous temples like Guruvayoor, and all the necessary food items are prepared by the temple authorities. We do not need to bring any of the food items if it is performed in a temple. (As this also marks the baby's first entry in a temple, we have to remember to urinate the baby before the function outside the temple. Nowadays since people use diapers it is not a serious issue, but otherwise it is not good if the baby pees inside the temple- the parents are sometimes asked to pay for conducting a cleansing puja). The baby is given a bit of rice, sugar, salt, ghee, daal, fruit and sometimes a little vegetables all served in a piece of banana leaf. The baby is dressed in a kasavu mundu (and they look irresistibly cute!) and the father and mother and any close relative feed the baby with tiny bits of the food. It is a beautiful ceremony and a landmark in the baby's life. 'Choroonu' in Kerala is usually performed when the baby is 140-168 days old, that is between his/her 5th and 6th month, calculated according to the Malayalam calendar. However this can be done later than this also, like in our case, when the baby is born premature, or due to some other reason. It is best to consult an astrologer to decide the date and muhurtham.

Our triplets had their 'choroonu' in October 2012. We planned to have it in Ambalapuzha Sreekrishnaswamy Temple where I used to go quite a lot as a child, and where Lord Krishna is the deity- in a child's playful form. He loves food, especially butter, milk, ghee and payasam, and all of us in our family are in love with this little, naughty, cowherd God. We also wanted a choroonu ceremony in Pazhaveedu Devi Temple at Alappuzha, as well as one along with the Vallasadya at Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple. (We can have as many choroonu ceremonies as we want! Many families do it in a number of temples.)
Raman ran a high fever the night before choroonu at Ambalapuzha. The whole night he was awake, crying, and temperature did not subside even after the prescribed dosage of Paracetamol (which usually was quite sufficient for their fever). We kept wet cloth on his forehead and Ramesh rocked him on his lap for hours, but he kept waking up and crying. We got really worried. I was worried sick seeing his small face red with fever. Then I had this feeling that Krishna Himself did not like it that we were going all the way to Ambalapuzha without first going to Poornathrayeesa Temple in Tripunithura, which was much closer to our house, where also Krishna is in child form. May be it is my blind faith, totally illogical, but I prayed that let Raman be all right for tomorrow's function, and we would have another choroonu in Tripunithura as well. In half an hour his fever subsided, and he slept well. Next day morning we went to Ambalapuzha, gave them rice and daal, salt and ghee in a small piece of banana leaf. Had the same ceremony in Pazhaveedu and Tripunithura. There was also a Tulabhaaram with rice for the babies (weighing the babies by scale and offering the deity something equal to the weight of the baby- rice, sugar, jaggery, banana etc., sometimes gold too!) . Then after a few days there was Vallasadya. Everything went well. Giving the pictures below.

(In this blogpost there is information about choroonu in Guruvayoor - http://simplyknow.blogspot.in/2010/09/anna-prasam-or-choroonu-in-guruvayur.html )
Post on Vidyarambham-Ezhuthiniruthal
Post on Feeding in the first few months

Post on Naming ceremony
Post on Diaper use
Post on Guilty feeling about formula feeding my babies
Post on the benefits of oil massaging babies and how to do it

Ambalapuzha Sree Krishna Swamy Temple

Raman being dressed up in Kasavu mundu

Aryakkutty being fed by mother

Daddy feeding Balu

Raman tasting his rice

Happy Kutty

Raman's Tulabhaaram

Triplets choroonu at Poornathrayeesa temple

NEXT...Trips with kids