Happy Birthday Little One!

The world adhapoorthi means the completion of one year. At the end of the first year of a child's life, celebrations abound with prayers for health and longevity. Many believe that this celebration had its origins in early times when medical facilities were limited and a child's challenge was to survive the first year. With the first year behind, the belief in the child,s long and healthy life grew. Thus the custom grewand the Ayusha homam came to be celebrated on that day. The world Ayusha means longevity. This homam is believed to be auspicious if conducted on the day of the birth star every year. The pressures of modern life however have resulted in this being conducted during the first birthday celebrations only. This homam is a prayer to Markandeya who receives the boon of eternal life.

                                           Markandeya Namasthesthu
                                           Sapthakalapantha Jivana
                                      Ayurarogya Sidhyartham Praseedha
                                                 Bhagavan Mune

(Markandeya Maharishi, you who have eternal life, please belss me with long life and good health.)

The Story of Markandeya is a fascinating one. A long longtime ago, there lived a rishi and his wife. They had no children and prayed fervently to Lord Shiva to bless them with a child. The Lord was moved by their prayer and offered them a choice. They could have a wise and good child who would live just 16 years, or they could have a child who was a fool but lived a hundred years.

The couple chose the former and soon had a child who they named Markandeya. Markandeya was soon the apple of their eye and excelled in all things. The couple rejoiced in his intelligence and abilities but soon grew pensive as the 16 years drew to a close.

Wheb Markandeya learned of his fate, he went to a nearby temple and prayed to Lord Shiva. At that time, Lord Yama, The God of Death drew near. Markandeya refused to go with Yama and clung to the lingam instead. Furious, Shiva rose from the lingam and kicked Yama unconscious. He then blessed Markandeya with eternal youth.

Thus the homam focuses the prayers on Markandeya. On the day of the homam, the child is given an oil bath and dressed in vew clothes and often adorned with gold ornaments. The homam is usually conducted in the presence of close friends and relatives who rejoice in the completion of one year and gather to share their good wishes for the child.

The ear piercing also takes place usually on this day. Traditionally, both boys and girls had their ears pierced. Today the custom is usually followed only for the girls. Like many other functions and caremonies, modern life and weatern thought has added aspects to the celebrations. A cake is often cut and probably never will is the fervent prayer for the child who has weathered the turmoils of the first year to face the unknown future.