Initiatory Death in the Hindu Rite of Passage called Upanayana
Initiatory Death in the Hindu Rite of Passage called Upanayana

Summary/Abstract: In world cultures, the individual’s transition from one stage of existence to the other is marked by specific ceremonies.When a youth is on the verge of entering adulthood, this milestone is touched upon through rites – more or less challenging from aphysical, mental and emotional point of view – meant to prepare him for the active participation in the community’s life, of which he is a member, and take on the specific responsibilities of his new identity.I have used the term identity since, we shall see, the transition from one stage to the other involves the casting off of one’s old garb and bedecking one’s self anew, a fundamental reconfiguration of the individual. Starting from the philosophical framing of the rites, in order to understand the concept of initiatory death we shall, first,reveal the origins of Upanayana, the context of its birth, its development stages, goal, and lastly, stop at some relevant passages for this rite from the sacred texts.

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