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On an auspicious day and at a lucky time, the boy's head is completely shaved, except for the middle tuft or bodi. After bath, he is sits on the skin of an animal; usually deer, sheep or goat, according to caste. The guru sits on the right side of the boy and makes him promise to obey the orders he will receive. He does this by covering both their hands with a long cloth. Drums and conches form the background music, when the guru whispers in the right ear of the boy a particular mantra, which is never ever revealed to others.
The boy then goes to beg alms, first from his mother and later from all other women gathered in the venue. These alms can be money, small rings of silver, rice, wheat or gold. Finally, the guru puts the Janeo on the boy. During the ceremony, holy water is sprinkled with a tuft of grass and simultaneously Gayatri mantra is recited.
For the first time during this ceremony, the boy is taught to repeat the pious Vedic prayer for illumination called Savitri, or Gayatri from R'Gveda. He is taught to utter the sacred syllable 'OM' (AUM) and the other tire names of the seven worlds like Bhur, Bhuvar, Svar, etc. The boy gets accustomed to the Vedic texts through mantras. Teachings from Manu, Sanskrit books, law books starts after this Janeo ceremony.
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