SamskarasSimantonnayana (godh bharai) (सीमन्तोन्नयन)
Simantonnayana (godh bharai) (सीमन्तोन्नयन), samskar number 3 of 16: in the seventh or eighth month of pregnancy. What the ceremony is and how it is done.
This is the third of the sixteen samskaras, the life-cycle ceremonies of Hindu tradition. It is performed in the seventh or eighth month of pregnancy.
What it is
The ceremony of "parting the hair" of the expectant mother is the ancestor of the baby shower of many Indian families, known as godh bharai in the north, seemantham in the south and valaikappu in Tamil Nadu. Women of the family bless the mother, give her gifts and sweets, and wish her an easy delivery.
What is usually done
Bangles, flowers, a lap filled with fruits and sweets, songs and blessings; the details differ by region.
Why it matters to families
The samskaras mark the stages of a life and bring the family and community together at each of them. Families keep as many as suit their tradition and their circumstances. Many keep the ceremonies that remain popular (naming, first food, first haircut, the thread, wedding and last rites) and treat the rest as a prayer of blessing.
Read next
These pages describe common practice in plain words. Customs differ by region, community and family, and your own family's tradition and a priest of your community come first. Dates of auspicious times change every year: ask a priest or use a trusted panchang. Nothing here promises any result.