Celebration · Kindergarten

Kindergarten Aksharaabhyaasam: First Letters in Turmeric Rice

Kindergarten Aksharaabhyaasam at Vidhya Peetham i-School: little fingers traced the sacred ॐ in rice grains mixed with turmeric powder, guided by family.

Vidhya Peetham i-School / 20 October 2026 / 2 minute read

02A woman in a purple saree places a mark on the forehead of a boy wearing a jasmine garland.

On 20 October 2026, our Kindergarten Aksharaabhyaasam brought our youngest learners and their families together at school. Cute little fingers ran through rice grains mixed with turmeric powder to write the sacred letter ॐ. Yes, you guessed it right: it was Aksharaabhyaasam.

03A woman guides a toddler's hand in a tray of yellow rice as a man in a veshti photographs them.

Writing the first letter

Aksharaabhyaasam is a traditional ceremony in which a young child is guided to write a first letter. For our Kindergarten children, that letter was ॐ, traced with a finger in a tray of rice grains mixed with turmeric powder.

The photographs from the day show families sitting together on the floor, with the children on a parent's lap or close beside them. Many of the children wore jasmine garlands and traditional clothes. Often an adult's hand rested over the child's, gently guiding a small finger through the yellow rice. Some of the trays also had red petals scattered over the rice.

04A boy wearing a jasmine garland touches a tray of turmeric rice held by two adults sitting on the floor.

05A woman holds a tray of yellow rice as a toddler on her lap reaches towards it and a girl in purple watches.

A family moment at Kindergarten Aksharaabhyaasam

The children did not write alone. In picture after picture, parents and family members lean in close, watching each stroke take shape. Several of them took photographs on their phones as the children traced the letter, and in some photos a mark is being placed on a child's forehead.

The photos also show the hall decorated with hanging palm-leaf decorations, and a display of dolls arranged on steps in one room, with other families seated on chairs nearby.

Thank you to all the families who sat beside their children for this Kindergarten Aksharaabhyaasam.

06A boy in a blue shirt and garland smiles as an adult guides his finger through a tray of yellow rice.

07A child in a red kurta and garland traces in a tray held by a woman, with a man seated beside them.

08A man places a mark on a young girl's forehead while an older girl holds a small plate and adults look on.

09Kindergarten Aksharaabhyaasam: a child in a silk pavadai stands before a doll display as two adults take photos.

10Girls in long traditional skirts dance in a decorated hall while a man sits on the floor and adults watch.

11A woman in yellow guides a boy's finger through a tray of turmeric rice on the floor.

12A man and a woman lean over a boy as he traces in a tray of yellow rice with red petals.

13A woman guides a child's hand in a tray of rice while a small girl in a printed dress stands watching.

14Adults and children seated on chairs before glass-fronted bookcases, with palm-leaf decorations hanging above.

Celebration · Kindergarten

Kindergarten Aksharaabhyaasam: First Letters in Turmeric Rice

Writing the first letter

A family moment at Kindergarten Aksharaabhyaasam

Come and see a class in progress.