The samskaras: Hindu rites of passage
A samskara is a rite that marks a step in life, from a baby’s name to the last rites. The old household manuals, the Grihya Sutras, describe them. Texts, regions and families count them and do them differently.
The family priest’s guidance and the family’s own custom come first. Each guide says whose practice it describes, and names its sources.
The rites, in the order of life
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A baby’s name
What is namakarana, the Hindu naming ceremony?
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A baby’s first rice
What is annaprashana, a baby's first rice?
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A child’s first haircut
What is mundan, a child's first haircut?
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A child’s first letters
What is vidyarambha, a child's first letters?
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The sacred thread
What is the sacred thread ceremony (upanayana)?
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The wedding
What are the Hindu wedding rituals, from kanyadan to saptapadi?
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The last rites
What are Hindu funeral rites (antyeshti)?
Family rites that are not samskaras
These rites are close to the samskaras, and families often ask about them together. Their guides say why they are not counted as samskaras.
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Remembering the ancestors
What is shraddha?
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Entering a new home
What is griha pravesh?
Tools for family occasions
Each tool works in your browser and sends nothing. Every date and time comes from our calendar engine, with the rule and its source named. There is no muhurat for the last rites or for shraddha.