Annaprashan Muhurat 2024 – Auspicious Time for Feeding Rice

Celebrating a Baby’s First Solid Food: Annaprashan Muhurat 2024 and Traditions

Parents around the world celebrate many first-time milestones with their babies, and one of them is the Annaprashan ceremony. Annaprashan or annaprasana, a Sanskrit word for “food eating” or “food feeding,” marks the baby’s first solid food. In this ceremony, the baby is fed its first morsel of solid food, which is a ritual that prepares the baby for sustenance and a successful life on Earth. This tradition is celebrated in the Hindu way of life, and the entire family and all elders come together to witness and bless the baby for its future life.

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When is Annaprashan performed?

Annaprashan is performed anytime between six months to one year of the baby’s birth. It is usually done during the even months (the sixth or eighth month) for boys and during the odd months (the fifth or seventh month) for girls. This time frame is selected because the baby gains the strength to digest the cereals and rice. If the baby is found to be of weak disposition, the time can be postponed further.

Where can Annaprashan be performed?

Annaprashan can be done at home or in a temple. Most people prefer to perform the ceremony at home. Nowadays, due to space constraints, a banquet hall or a community center is usually booked for the function. In Kerala, most people prefer to perform the ceremony at Guruvayoor, a Hindu temple.

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Annaprashan Muhurat 2024

Performing an auspicious task like Annaprashan requires calculating an auspicious time, known as “muhurat,” which is critical to possessing optimal knowledge of time, date, planetary position, and nakshatras. The calculation of the muhurat can be performed using an Annaprasanam date calculator or by reaching out to Vedic astrologers who are good at reading the Vedic Panchang. Most people figure out the time to perform the ceremony based on the traditions of their clan.

How is Annaprashan performed?

When performing Annaprashan in line with Vedic Astrology practices, a specific day and time are selected by consulting a priest for performing the Annaprashan ceremony. Family, friends, and relatives are invited for the big day. The scale of the ceremony differs from one family to another. Some prefer to have an intimate gathering, while others may have it at a temple. The baby is bathed and clothed in new traditional clothes such as dhoti, dhoti kurta, or lehenga choli. The baby is then seated on an elder’s lap, like the father, paternal grandfather, maternal uncle, or maternal grandfather (differs from place to place). The ceremony begins with a puja. Oil lamps and incense sticks are lit to purify the atmosphere. Prayers are offered to various deities to ensure the child grows into a strong and well-spoken individual, thus making sure that the baby is primed for success.

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The baby’s relatives also pray for its fame, broad vision, and long and happy life. The ceremony’s purpose is to pray to the gods to bless the child with good thoughts, promising talents, and good digestive powers. The first offering is made to the gods and goddesses. This is followed by the symbolic feeding of the prasad or the first bite of solid food by the elder on whose lap the baby is seated. The other elders follow suit by blessing and offering a taste of the food to the baby. After the ceremony, the people gathered to join in for some fun and games, following which they treat themselves to a large feast. A fun game usually follows the religious ceremony, where several symbolic objects are placed on a banana leaf or silver tray. The baby is then let loose to pick. The item that the child first touches or picks signifies his prospects, which are as under-

• books – learning
• jewels – wealth
• pen – wisdom
• clay – property
• food – love for food and feeding people

Family and friends have a fabulous time cheering the little one on as he/she makes a choice.

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What is served during the Annaprashan ceremony?

While the major item served during the ceremony is kheer, fried vegetables, dals, curries, and flavored rice are also served. In Kerala, rice, curd, salt, jaggery, banana, and payasam are served to the baby on a banana leaf. Though this ceremony has been practiced since ancient times, certain precautions need to be taken while conducting this ceremony. Here are some ideas to help make this ceremony a special time that is also easy on the nerves.

• Make sure your baby is well-rested before the ceremony
• Limit the gathering to a few close family members and friends
• Choose comfortable clothing for your baby, preferably from natural fabrics
• Wash your hands thoroughly before feeding
• Make sure that the baby’s food is prepared fresh and hygienically
• Stick to a few essential items for the menu
• Rice is a safe first food. If kheer is a miss, keep boiled rice or rice with dal as an offering
• Make sure your baby does not eat more than two spoons of the offering to avoid an upset stomach
• A box of sweets or dried fruits makes great “thank you” gifts
• Do not forget to record the occasion. Memories matter

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Importance of Annaprashan

In every stage of life, food is considered the essence. No matter who we are or what we are, we are nothing without food. We need food to develop physically and mentally. Our scriptures mention that purification of the body and the inner mind takes place through a pure diet. Through the ceremony of Annaprashan, the Goddess of food, Annapoorna is worshipped, and the parents pray for the child’s good health and prosperity. The child becomes robust and powerful. It is believed that a baby’s teeth start coming out from the sixth or seventh month, which indicates that the digestive process is strong. After this, if the child is fed solids along with milk, both the body and mind will develop optimally, thus ensuring a healthy child.

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List of Annaprashan Muhurat 2024/Feeding rice timings 2024

Annaprashan Muhurat January 2024

Date	Day	Duration of the Muhurat
3-Jan-24	Wednesday	07.16 -10:10, 19.00 – 21.12
12-Jan-24	Friday	18:25-22:15
15-Jan-24	Monday	07.48 -09:27
17-Jan-24	Wednesday	07.49-12:11, 13.52 – 20.23
25-Jan-24	Thursday	13:20-19:47
31-Jan-24	Wednesday	09.57 – 12.50

Annaprashan Muhurat February 2024

Date	Day	Duration of the Muhurat
2-Feb-24	Friday	11:14-16:55
8-Feb-24	Thursday	07:58-12:22
12-Feb-24	Monday	16:20 – 18:35
14-Feb-24	Wednesday	07:33 – 10:22
19-Feb-24	Monday	07:30 – 08:38
21-Feb-24	Wednesday	13:30 – 18:00
22-Feb-24	Thursday	11:30 – 15:35
26-Feb-24	Monday	07:25 – 13:25
29-Feb-24	Thursday	09:27 – 15:08

Annaprashan Muhurat March 2024

Date	Day	Duration of the Muhurat
8-Mar-24	Friday	07:35 to 12:20
11-Mar-24	Monday	12:20 to 16:40.
27-Mar-24	Wednesday	07:45 to 13:20

Annaprashan Muhurat April 2024

Date	Day	Duration of the Muhurat
12-Apr-24	Friday	14:50 to 19:05
15-Apr-24	Monday	06:30 to 12:10
26-Apr-24	Friday	07:30 to 13:40

Annaprashan Muhurat May 2024

Date	Day	Duration of the Muhurat
3-May-24	Friday	06:55 to 10.55
6-May-24	Monday	06:40 to 13:05
9-May-24	Thursday	13.00 to 17:30
10-May-24	Friday	10:40 to 17:15
23-May-24	Thursday	14:30 to 21:00
27-May-24	Monday	18:45 to 22.50
30-May-24	Thursday	11:30 to 13:48

Annaprashan Muhurat June 2024

Date	Day	Duration of the Muhurat
10-Jun-24	Monday	17:40 to 20:00
19-Jun-24	Wednesday	21:30 to 23:10
20-Jun-24	Thursday	06.00 to 10:10
24-Jun-24	Monday	07:40 to 14:15
26-Jun-24	Wednesday	09:50 to 16:35
28-Jun-24	Friday	19.05 to 22:40

Annaprashan Muhurat July 2024

Date	Day	Duration of the Muhurat
3-Jul-24	Wednesday	07:45 to 13:50
12-Jul-24	Friday	16:05 to 21:30
15-Jul-24	Monday	21:35 to 22:50
22-Jul-24	Monday	15:00 to 21:00
25-Jul-24	Thursday	19:15 to 22:15

Annaprashan Muhurat August 2024

Date	Day	Duration of the Muhurat
2-Aug-24	Friday	12:05 to 14:15
9-Aug-24	Friday	07:05 to 11:15
12-Aug-24	Monday	06:45 to 09:00
14-Aug-24	Wednesday	11:15 to 13:20
19-Aug-24	Monday	15:30 to 19:10
23-Aug-24	Friday	12:55 to 15:05
28-Aug-24	Wednesday	06:30 to 12:30

Annaprashan Muhurat September 2024

Date	Day	Duration of the Muhurat
4-Sep-24	Wednesday	12:10 to 18:00
5-Sep-24	Thursday	07:30 to 09:40, 12:05 to 18:00
6-Sep-24	Friday	07:25 to 09:30
16-Sep-24	Monday	06:45 to 11:10

Annaprashan Muhurat October 2024

Date	Day	Duration of the Muhurat
4-Oct-24	Friday	06:50 to 10:05
7-Oct-24	Monday	14:30 to 18:50
17-Oct-24	Thursday	07:20 to 11:30
21-Oct-24	Monday	09:05 to 15:00
23-Oct-24	Wednesday	17:55 to 23:30
30-Oct-24	Wednesday	08:30 to 14:30

Annaprashan Muhurat November 2024

Date	Day	Duration of the Muhurat
4-Nov-24	Monday	07:10 to 10:20
8-Nov-24	Friday	07:55 to 13:50
11-Nov-24	Monday	09:58 to 12:00
13-Nov-24	Wednesday	13:40 to 04:20, 18:30 to 22:10
14-Nov-24	Thursday	07:16 to 11:40
20-Nov-24	Wednesday	11:20 to 15:30
25-Nov-24	Monday	07:20 to 12:45
28-Nov-24	Thursday	08:55 to 14:00, 15:20 to 21:10
29-Nov-24	Friday	08:50 to 10:45

Annaprashan Muhurat December 2024

Date	Day	Duration of the Muhurat
5-Dec-24	Thursday	13:40 to 18:30, 20:50 to 23:00
6-Dec-24	Friday	07:35 to 12:00
25-Dec-24	Wednesday	07:50 to 10:45

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In today’s fast-paced world, where traditional customs and practices are gradually disappearing, celebrating age-old ceremonies can play a significant role in reviving our cultural heritage. Such celebrations bring loved ones together, creating cherished memories that last a lifetime. It is crucial to preserve our traditions and maintain our roots, and performing ceremonies such as Annaprashan can help us achieve this goal. By keeping these rituals alive, we can ensure a firm foundation for our babies’ future while staying connected to our cultural legacy.