Annaprashan Ceremony: A Complete Guide to Baby's First Rice Feeding, Rituals and Regional Customs

Quick answer: Annaprashan ("feeding of food") is the Hindu ceremony of a baby's first taste of rice, one of the sixteen samskaras. It is usually held around six months, after a short puja, when a parent or elder offers a tiny bite of kheer or rice blessed as prasad. Bengal calls it Mukhe Bhaat; Kerala, Choroonu.

What Annaprashan is and where it comes from

Annaprashan, also spelled Annaprashana or Annaprasana, combines anna (food, especially rice) and prashana (eating or feeding). It marks the baby's move from only milk to solid food, and the family's prayer that the child will always have enough nourishment, health and a good life.

It is one of the sixteen samskaras, the rites of passage of Hindu life. The Grihya Sutras, such as those of Paraskara and Ashvalayana, describe it as a household rite performed around the sixth month, with offerings into the sacred fire and the first feeding of the child. Some texts mention different foods for different hopes for the child; modern families simply use rice and ghee or kheer. See A guide to the 16 Hindu samskaras and Shodasha samskaras for NRIs.

When to hold it

Most families choose around six months, which is also when babies typically start solid food. Some prefer a slightly later date to suit relatives' travel or the baby's readiness. A common regional custom holds the ceremony in an even month (sixth or eighth) for boys and an odd month (fifth or seventh) for girls; others ignore this distinction. Families often ask a priest to choose an auspicious day based on the panchang, avoiding certain tithis. Above all, make sure your paediatrician agrees that your baby is ready for solids.

Regional names and customs

Names and details vary widely, even within a state, and between Vaishnava, Shaiva, Shakta and Smarta families. Ask the elders in your family what they did.

The object-choosing game

A favourite part of many ceremonies is a folk custom in which several items are placed on a tray in front of the baby: a book, a pen, money or gold, a little soil or clay, a toy, sometimes food. Whatever the baby grabs first is playfully said to hint at future interests, such as learning, wealth or land. It is a moment of laughter and photos, not a prediction, and every choice is greeted with cheers.

Simple Annaprashan steps at home

• 1. Prepare: bathe the baby and dress them in new clothes. Set up the home altar with a lamp, flowers and the family deity's picture.
• 2. Ganesha prayer and sankalpa: a parent or priest prays to Ganesha and states the purpose: the baby's first feeding, with the child's name.
• 3. Puja: a short puja to the family deity. See Shodashopachara puja steps for the full form, or do a five-step version.
• 4. Offer the food: offer the kheer or rice to the deity as naivedya first.
• 5. First feeding: the chosen elder gives the baby a tiny taste with a clean silver or steel spoon, or with a finger. A few drops are enough.
• 6. Blessings: elders bless the baby with akshata (rice grains), sometimes giving gifts.
• 7. Aarti and celebration: end with aarti and a family meal. See How to do aarti.

Some families also perform a small homa with a priest. Simple prayers such as "Om" or the family deity's name are enough if you do not know Sanskrit mantras.

Baby food safety comes first

The ritual taste is tiny, but safety still matters. Follow your paediatrician's advice on when to start solids and what to give. Ask specifically about honey, nuts, added sugar, salt and any family allergies; many families now make a smooth, plain version of kheer or mashed rice just for the baby. Use clean utensils, keep jewellery and small objects from the object game out of the baby's reach, and do not let guests feed extra bites.

For NRI families

Many NRIs hold Annaprashan at a local temple, which often has a priest who can perform it on a weekend, or at home with grandparents joining by video call. Some families save the temple visit for a trip to India, for example Choroonu at Guruvayur, and do a small home ceremony on time abroad. Explaining it to friends is easy: "It is our baby's first food ceremony, like a blessing for a lifetime of good meals." If you are planning other ceremonies, see the Namakaranam guide and the Seemantham guide.

Frequently asked questions

At what age is Annaprashan done?

Most families hold it around six months, when babies typically begin solid food, though it ranges from about five to twelve months. In some regions boys have it in an even month (sixth or eighth) and girls in an odd month (fifth or seventh); this is a regional custom, not a universal rule. Check with your paediatrician that your baby is ready.

Who feeds the baby first at Annaprashan?

It depends on the family. In Bengal the maternal uncle (mama) often feeds the first bite at Mukhe Bhaat; in many homes it is the father, a grandparent or the priest. Follow your family custom.

What food is given at Annaprashan?

Usually a tiny taste of rice kheer or payasam, or soft rice with ghee and dal, first offered to the family deity as prasad. Many families now prepare a baby-safe version, mashed and without honey, nuts, added sugar or salt, as their paediatrician advises.

What is the object game at Annaprashan?

Many families place items such as a book, pen, money, jewellery and soil or a toy in front of the baby. The first one the baby picks is playfully said to hint at future interests. It is a cheerful folk custom, not a prediction.

Can Annaprashan be done without a priest?

Yes. A simple version at home with a family puja, a prayer to Ganesha and the family deity, and the first feeding is perfectly fine. Many NRI families combine it with a temple visit.

Is Annaprashan done in a temple?

Often, yes. In Kerala, Choroonu is commonly done at Guruvayur and other temples, and many families everywhere choose their family deity's temple. It can equally be done at home.

Editor's note (9 October 2026)

This guide was written in October 2026. The Grihya Sutra basis is described at the level of named texts, not quoted. The even-odd month custom and the object game are labelled as regional or folk customs. We make no health claims; please follow your paediatrician's advice on starting solid food. Regional details vary; follow your family elders or priest.

Related guides

• Shodasha samskaras: 16 rites of passage for NRIs
• Namakaranam: baby naming ceremony guide
• How to choose a Hindu baby name
• Guruvayur Temple's divine legacy
• Why Hindus touch elders' feet
• Types of tilak and their meaning

Image credit: Ms Sarah Welch, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_grandfather_feeding_a_Hindu_baby_her_first_solid_food_eating_Annaprashana_samskara_rite-of-passage_ceremony_inside_Shiva_temple_Kerala.jpg).