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VIJAYAWADA, INDIA, June 14, 2012 (The Hindu): Over 200 tiny tots participated in the mass aksharabhyasam organized atop Indrakeeladri by the Sri Durga Malleswara Swamyvarla Devasthanam here on Wednesday. Parents turned up in good numbers along with their children to perform aksharabhyasam (first letter writing), the formal initiation into the learning process (traditionally performed at the age of five). 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, maternal uncles, or close relatives. The temple gave away slate, pencils, schoolbag, erasers, and prasadam to the children. The program was organized to give a boost to the culture, which was almost forgotten due to the influence of western culture and globalization. “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.

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