Samskaras

Samskaras which are ‘rites of passage’ in India context, can be thought of a similar rites, rituals and ceremonies, which are meant to train and hence, transform individuals as per their life and social stages.

Ancient Indian literature, particularly the Grhyasutra and Dharmasutra contains detailed and elaborate injunctions about rites, rituals and ceremonies associated with the Samskaras. Given Samskaras were primarily meant to ritually and socially transform an individual and to make them fit for a particular life stage, if one is to analyse the rites. rituals and ceremonial injunctions related to Samskaras in texts like the Grhyasutra and Dharmasûtra, one can interpret the social dimensions associated with Samskaras.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR : Dr. Shwetanshu Bhushan is Associate Professor at Department of History, Lady Shri Ram College, University of Delhi, New Delhi and teaching there for more than two decades. She completed her M.A., M.Phil and PhD from the Centre for Historical Studies, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.