Avani Avittam celebrated

Members of the Brahmin community here celebrated Avani Avittam on Saturday by performing various rituals.

The ceremonies connected with the celebrations are held on the banks of a pond or a river. In Kollam, it was performed on the banks of the Anandawalleeshwaram temple pond.

The male members of the community change their sacred threads (poonul) on this day. They take a dip in the pond and change their sacred threads chanting mantras. The ceremony symbolises retrospection and penitence to mark a new beginning. The festival falls on the full moon day of the Tamil month of Avani.

Also known as ‘Upakarmam’ it signifies the beginning of the study of Vedas.

The day marks one of the most auspicious events for the Brahmin community. It is believed that it was on Avani Avittam that Lord Vishnu, incarnated as Lord Hayagriva, restored the Vedas stolen by the asuras to Lord Brahma.

The reading of the Yajur Veda is also held on the day.