Aksharabhyas

 

I remember my aksharabhyas (initiation of education) at home in Proddatur with all pomp in 1956 when I was 5 years old. This ritual is very common in Hindu families of Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The ceremony is performed by the Maternal Uncle (Mother's brother)/ Father/ Paternal Uncle (Father's brother) along with the family keeping the child in his lap holding the child's right-hand forefinger and make the child write the OM. In my case, my father held my hand, while I sat in his lap, and made me write 'OM' while our family purohit, Sri Kistaachar chanted the mantras. OM symbol is treated as a Beejaakshar (Beeja in Sanskrit means the origin)

Sannayi melam (nadaswaram combined with dhol) was hired to play at a function that was going on in our opposite house complex on that same day. A distant relative of ours also living in that complex, thought of utilising the services of mangala vayidyakars to be a part of a small procession in which I was to go to school after aksharabhyas. I was thus taken in a small procession to the Kota street municipal elementary school to join in the first standard, mangala vayidyakars playing at the head of the procession. My school entry was thus a memorable event with a 'palaka' (quarried from out of the earth, usually from mountains or mines Slate is a black coloured metamorphic rock fixed in a wooden frame) under my arm and a 'balapam' (a long soft white writing stone) as the writing instrument. There were wooden planks serving as floor benches for us to squat on in the class rooms. Regular benches were provided for students only from fourth class. 

The school was located near the community well close to Sri Chandramouli's tuition (father of sri Viswa Ranjan, the drill master) It was on the street where Krishnaswamy Rao had a typewriting institute, janaki press was located, Vellala Mysurayya' residence cum Renadu press was located. Head master of that elementary school was sri Kemba Gundu Rao, a relative of mine. Third standard teacher was sri Chandramouli (not the one referred above) Kesavamma teacher was handling second standard.