Seemantham is a Hindu ceremony performed in the sixth or
eighth month of pregnancy. It is performed for the correct development of the
baby in the womb and for the development of the brain. Ancient Hindus believed
that the food that the mother takes and her thoughts had direct impact on the
baby in the womb. That is the reason why elders advice pregnant women to listen
to good stories and music and to stay away from tension and conflicts.
Seemantham is performed to rectify if any food or thoughts
of mother had badly influenced the intelligence of the baby.
The word Seemantham literally means the hair parting just
above the eyebrow.
Some communities nowadays only perform the ceremony during
first pregnancy (cost is the main factor for limiting it to first pregnancy) and
that is the reason why the first child is known as Seemantaputran or
Seemantaputri.
Seemantham is today widely followed in Karnataka, Andhra
Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
The rituals associated with the ceremony vary from region to
region.
Vedic mantra is chanted for nearly 1.5 hours in front of a
copper or bronze vessel filled with water. The mouth of the copper vessel is
covered with mango leaves and coconut and a few darbha grasses are inserted.
This water is then taken carefully and cardamom, clove, benzene,
saffron, jatfal and other local medicines are added.
The pregnant woman is bathed with this water on the
Seemantham day.
Another important ceremony is the inhaling of a banyan tree
leaf paste prepared using raw milk. It is believed to help in protecting the
womb.