Anna Prasam or Choroonu, the first rice giving ceremony of a child can be conducted before Lord Guruvayurappan and is auspicious. For many people, this is the first time, the kid enters a temple. We are Tamil people we don't have this function in Tamil culture, but still my wife wanted to feed our child Tanika there.
Some preparations:
- The Anna Prasam is starting every day from 5 AM in the morning and goes till lunch
- Maintain the dress code [Men: Dhoti/Mundu, Women: Salwar/Saree & Child: Mundu]
- You can buy Mundu for child near the temple itself
- Food items for Anna Prasam will be provided by Temple (you need not to prepare anything)
- Camera & Mobiles are not allowed inside the temple (you can keep it just outside the temple in keeping area with nominal fee)
- It is better to be early in the morning to avoid rush specially when you carry child
After keeping your belonging in the counter, enter the temple. You need to buy a receipt for the "Anna Prasam or Choroonu" by paying Rs. 10 in the counter. After getting the receipt go near the entrance you can see Anna Prasam area (near Thulabaram). Anna Prasam is a group activity there in Guruvayur. At a time they will serve some 10-15 child. They will be providing the Cooked Rice, Payasam, Appalam & Bana Leaf. There itself you can find photographers, by paying a nominal fee of Rs. 200, you can get the pictures of the occasion. They will be sending the pictures in courier in a week time. So the occasion ends there.
Now the big problem is to see the lord Guruvayurappan, As this temple is very famous it will be crowed always. Atleast you need to wait in a queue for 2 hours to see the lord. That too having a child its very difficult. So there is a special entrance for Anna Prasam babies, but they allow only one person with baby. And they have separate queue for ladies & then a general queue. So plan for queue.
Have a nice trip. If you need some more information pls comment here, I will reply if I know :)
