Upanayana (Sanskrit: उपनयन, romanized: upanayana, lit. 'initiation') is a Hindu educational sacrament,[2] one of the traditional saṃskāras or rites of passage that marked the acceptance of a student by a preceptor, such as a guru or acharya, and an individual's initiation into a school in Hinduism. Some traditions consider the ceremony as a spiritual rebirth for the child or future dvija, twice born. It signifies the acquisition of the knowledge of and the start of a new and disciplined life as a brahmacharya. According to the given community and its regional language, it is also known by numerous terms such as mekhal in Kashmiri (मेखल), janeo in Punjabi (ਜਨੇੇਓ), jaanoi in Gujrati (જાનોઇ), janya in Sindhi (जन्य), janev in Bhojpuri (जनेव), munja in Marathi (मुंजा), munji in Konkani (मुंजी), poite in Bangla (পৈতৈ), brataghara in Odia (ବ୍ରତଘର), logun dioni in Assamese (লগুণ দিওনী), bratabandha in Nepali (ब्रतबन्ध), chewar in Newari (छेवार), upanayana in Kannada (ಉಪನಯನ), upanayanamu in Telugu (ఉపనయనము), upanayanam in Malayalam (ഉപനയനമ്), and upanayanam or poonool in Tamil (உபநயனம் or பூணூல்).[3] The Upanayanam ceremony is arguably the most important rite for Brahmin, Kshatriya, and Vaishya males, ensuring his rights with responsibilities and signifying his advent into adulthood.[4]
The tradition is widely discussed in ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism and varies regionally.[5] The sacred thread or yajnopavita (also referred to as Janeu, Jandhyam, Poonul, Munja and Janivara[6] Yonya[7]) has become one of the most important identifiers of the Upanayana ceremony in contemporary times, however this was not always the case.[8] Generally, this ceremony should be performed before the advent of adulthood.