Nwaran

Nwaran is a child naming ceremony celebrated in Nepal.

In the Hindu tradition, the Nwaran is celebrated on the 11th day after a child is born. This ceremony is performed to give a birthname to a child, according to his/her lunar horoscope, which is usually not the name by which he/she is known. Typically, a priest is invited to perform the ceremony at home, and divines finds the child's lunar horoscope from his birth details, as the mother is still recovering at home with the child. Until the mother and child are 'purified' (from past birth etc. in the religious sense), they should not visit the temple.

One can also perform a nwaran on the 21st or 41st day after birth, if for some reason the 11th day was not observed.

Before the pooja, the Pooja materials should be washed and kept clean and ready in the Pooja place. You can select a place for the Pooja, depending on the number of people you are going to call. The Pooja should be done facing east or west. A carpeted area covered with a clean, washed cloth like a bed sheet, can be used; unless there is going to be the Havan (Homam) ceremony, in which case it should be on a wooden, vinyl or tiled floor.

After the ceremony, the area can be cleaned up after sunset, or the next day. The fruits can be used as Prasad, whilst the Pooja flowers and Paan leaves are spread in the backyard near trees. Kalash coconut, the Pooja vasthra (cloth), the coins and the rice should be packed separately, and all other grains mixed together. Thes should be given, neatly packed, to the temple within 11 days; but the used fruits, flowers and pan leaves should not be taken inside the temple.