Punavachanam is a vedic ceremony conducted on the eleventh day since birth of the child. The significance of the ceremony is basically to cleanse the house and pray for the well-being of the child. The cleansing ritual involves sprinkling water of the great holy rivers of India (metaphorically) while chanting prayers. The ritual assumes importance as the act of cleansing is always performed at the beginning of a new phase -- in this case birth of a child. Most South Indian households also name the child in a ceremony that immediately follows this. However, since we're following the Jain traditions, only the official naming of the child wasn't done during the Punyavachanam. On 16th October we celebrated Anika's one month birthday at Lakshmi's parents home at Chembur with a chocolate cake! She was allowed just a lick for which Lakshmi later got a lecture from the pediatrician (paediatrician)! :-) From Picture #50.