Overview

• Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar conducted Vidyarambham initiations at Raj Bhavan, with the office confirming the event in an official Facebook post.
• Major hubs reported heavy turnout, including Thunchan Parambu in Tirur, Panachikkad in Kottayam, Dakshina Mookambika in North Paravur, Sri Padmanabhaswamy in Thiruvananthapuram, and Guruvayur.
• The ritual featured elders inscribing a mantra on the child’s tongue with a golden ring before guiding the first letters on rice, reflecting the tradition’s focus on sanctifying learning.
• Participation spanned temples, cultural centres, schools and some churches, with public figures such as Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, V. D. Satheesan, Suresh Gopi, Ramesh Chennithala, Veena George and others taking part.
• Images circulating online showed toddlers reacting in varied ways during the rite, while several venues began ceremonies before dawn to accommodate large queues of families.