Author: Staff Reporter
Publication: The Hindu
Date: June 29, 2012
URL: http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3527101.ece

Bhavani Mandapam atop Indrakeeladri reverberated with the chants of ‘Om Namah Sivaya Siddham Namha' on the occasion of mass ‘aksharabhyasam' organised by the Sri Durga Malleswara Swamyvarla Devasthanam here on Wednesday.

 Over 200 tiny tots participate in the mass ‘aksharabhyasam' organised atop Indrakeeladri .

 The Hindu Dharma Parirakshana Trust chalked out the ‘Akshara Deevena', a mass ‘aksharabhyasam' programme, across the State.

 Parents turned up in good numbers along with their children to perform ‘aksharabhyasam', the formal initiation into the learning process. Temple priests performed necessary rituals and the Vedic scholars performed ‘aksharabhyasam' to the children. Vedic scholars and temple Executive Officer M. Raghunanth inaugurated the event by helping a child write the holy letters. Children sat on the lap of their fathers. In some cases, children sat on the lap of their maternal uncles or close relatives.

 The priests performed Ganesha and Saraswati puja as a prelude to the programme.

 On the occasion, the Executive Officer said more than 200 children took part in the programme.
 Gifts given

 The temple gave away slate, pencils, schoolbag, erasers, and ‘prasadam' to the children. The programme was organised to give a boost to the culture, which was almost forgotten due to the influence of western culture and globalisation.

 “Nowadays, parents are sending their children to schools directly without performing ‘aksharabhyasam', an occasion when children are introduced to the world of alphabets as a first step into the world of knowledge,” he said.