Shashi Tharoor marks Vijay Dashami by taking part in Vidyarambham ritual

Photos of Congressman Shashi Tharoor with young children taken at "Vidyarambham" in Vijay Dashami have caused a buzz online on the auspicious occasion of Vijay Dashami / Dussehra. As part of the rituals, children are led by priests or scholars to temples to write alphabets on the grains of rice.

He started Vijaya Dashami's day with the right spirit, honoring learning as a way to overcome the forces of darkness, ”wrote the parliamentarian from Thiruvananthapuram, sharing some photos on his social media. He said the children were brought to his home for the ritual and added that “I traced with their little fingers the words 'Om Shri' in three scriptures.

Dressed in traditional clothes, the children were seen sitting on their parents' lap as the minister took their hands to trace the alphabets on the beads to celebrate the special moment. The ceremony, which is performed for a child aged two to five, takes place, among other places, in temples and schools.