Shashi Tharoor participated in Vidyarambham ritual on Vijaya Dashami. Viral pics

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor shared pictures from Vidyarambham ritual on Twitter. It is a ritual in which children are initiated into the world of books and literacy.

Kerala Congress MP Shashi Tharoor took part in the Vidyarambham ritual, in which children are initiated into the world of books and literacy. According to the Vidyarambham ritual, a child writes his/her first letters on a plate full of rice. Scholars, writers, teachers and priests make children between the age group of 2-5 years write their first letters. Shashi Tharoor shared pictures from Vidyarambham ritual on Twitter. Started VijayaDashami day in the right spirit, honouring learning as the way to overcome the forces of darkness. A number of toddlers were brought home to be initiated in writing. As I do every year in Tvm, I traced w/their little fingers the words "Om Shri" in three scripts. pic.twitter.com/RQA9hUVHio Not all the toddlers were all happy to be force-fed thier literacy by a stranger, but most were caught up in the mood of "Vidyarambham" and their parents' enthusiasm! pic.twitter.com/pl5TtCbki6 After Vidyarambham w/a dozen little ones at home, moved to my usual spot at the Saraswati Mandapam, but w/ Covid restrictions limiting numbers strictly to ten. Still the crowds outside testified to a Kerala reality: the yearning for learning trumps fear of the virus. pic.twitter.com/CaEqASXylO

“Started VijayaDashami day in the right spirit, honouring learning as the way to overcome the forces of darkness. A number of toddlers were brought home to be initiated in writing. As I do every year in Tvm, I traced w/their little fingers the words "Om Shri" in three scripts (sic),” Shashi Tharoor tweeted sharing pictures of little children participating in the long-standing ritual.