Upanayana

Upanayana is one of the traditional sa?skaras that marked the acceptance of a student by a guru and an individual's entrance to a school in Hinduism. The tradition is widely discussed in ancient Sanskrit texts of India and varies regionally. Upanayana is the rite of passage for the start of formal education of writing, numbers, reading, Vedangas, arts and other skills.

The Upanayana rite of passage was also important to the teacher, as the student would therefrom begin to live in the gurukul. Upanayana was an elaborate ceremony, that included rituals involving the family, the child and the teacher. A boy receives during this ceremony a sacred thread called Yajñopaveetam that he wears. The Yajñopavita ceremony announced that the child had entered into formal education. In the modern era, the Upanayana rite of passage is open to anyone at any age.