Many rituals and practices that exist in India have symbolic value that point to the highly idealistic and cultured view of life our forefathers had.
Writing “Om” on the tongue of the infant is one among them. It is a practice seen by many as being outworn and superstitious. However, there is a hidden meaning in it, which is why this tradition is still maintained in many parts of India with piety and respect.

The ritual is undertaken as follows: the baby is washed in lukewarm water, covered with white cloth and left in the hands of his father. The father sits facing a lit oil lamp with the baby in hand.
Then the father scrubs gold in the mixture of ghee and honey and writes “Om” with it on the tongue of the baby and blesses it.
The father also expresses his strong will to see his child grow up as an honest, humble, well-behaved, sweet-tongued person who will live a long life.
Following this, holy water is sprinkled on the body of the baby and its mother and all over the house.
Gold represents truth, ghee purity and honey sweet talk. All the three together with the highly effective spell “Om” can create a positive influence on the child.
The term “Om” is important in religious terms too.
“Avathi Rakshathi ithi Om”
(Since it saves, it is Om.)
Othamasmin Jagat ithi Om ithyuktham’ Raghavendra Theerthan
(Since the world is woven of this , it is Om)
“Akaro Vishnuruddishta
Ukaarasthu Maheswara
Makaarasthu Smritho Brahma
Pranavasthu thrayathmaka”
(The “A” sound represents Lord Vishnu, “U” sound represents Lord Shiva and “Ma” sound represents Lord Brahma. The three together manifests pranavam or “Om”.)
Such is the worth and power of the word “Om”. By writing the very pranavam on the tongue of the baby, he is made the abode of the Trinity, who in turn will safeguard him and guide him in his word, deed and thought. This ritual is known as Jathakarma.
Indian tradition also insists a ceremony to name a child. This ceremony is usually observed on the 11th or 13th day of his birth.
In certain states, this ceremony is observed on the 28th day. On this day both the parents of the baby make special prayers for the well-being of the child.
This ritual also starts with a customary wash. The father holds the child and the mother sits on the left. The father then names it with prayers for God’s grace. Scriptures insist on a glowing and striking name for boys. But in naming a girl, more care is demanded of. Girls should be given meaningful and easy-to-call names. It should be pleasant to hear, auspicious and ending in long vowels.
“Namyathe abhidheeyathe artho anena ithi nama”
(Since it bears a meaning, it is naama or name)
Some may argue that name of a person serves solely the purpose of his identity. But as per Indian tradition each name should have some meaning also. That is why the naming ceremony is considered an auspicious one. A name grows on you and becomes part of your “self” in the long run. So do not ask, “What’s in a name?”

— Dr Venganoor Balakrishnan is the author of Thaliyola, a book on Hindu beliefs and rituals. He has also written books on the Vedas and Upanishads. The author can be reached at drvenganoor@yahoo.co.in