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== Psycho-spiritual Significance ==
== Psycho-spiritual Significance ==
Upanayana ceremony is performed at a time when the person moves from early childhood to later childhood. Psychologists describe the childhood in two stages viz., early childhood, from the age of 3 to 6 years and later childhood, from the age of 7 to 12 years. A child develops mentally and physically in these stages rapidly. As a child grows, both quantitative and qualitative changes are taking place within him. The beginnings of good study habits can and should be learned at this stage. This age is the time when vision and hearing as well as any speech difficulties become evident if present. These senses develop rapidly and are put to use by the child in these later years; the training of the senses starts at this age with the Upanayana ceremony. Psychologists also mention that the thinking and reasoning capacity in a child grows manifold between the ages of eight to eleven.<ref name=":1" />
Upanayana ceremony is performed at a time when the person moves from early childhood to later childhood. Psychologists describe the childhood in two stages viz., early childhood, from the age of 3 to 6 years and later childhood, from the age of 7 to 12 years. A child develops mentally and physically in these stages rapidly. As a child grows, both quantitative and qualitative changes are taking place within him. The beginnings of good study habits can and should be learned at this stage. This age is the time when vision and hearing as well as any speech difficulties become evident if present. These senses develop rapidly and are put to use by the child in these later years; the training of the senses starts at this age with the Upanayana ceremony. Psychologists also mention that the thinking and reasoning capacity in a child grows manifold between the ages of eight to eleven.<ref name=":1" />
During this time perceptual powers increase in keenness and accuracy. Environmental influence has a great role in such development of perception. Before Upanayana home and members of the family are the most important factors influencing the child. Chaturvarnya system was the foundation of the society in Bharatavarsha. As [[Brahmana Dharma (ब्राह्मणधर्मः)|Brahmana]] household was filled with Veda mantras and recitation, it was quite natural that a child born there starts to learn them early on just by hearing, as early as, by the age of five. Some grhyasutras prescribe Upanayana samskara for the Brahmins by the age of five. So their thinking and reasoning capacities develop early on based on their environment. Consider the household of a Kshatriya. A child born there needs a little more time to strengthen himself physically. The [[Kshatriya Dharma (क्षत्रियधर्मः)|kshatriya dharma]] entails that they be trained more strictly to a harder discipline working on the natural qualities of heroism, leadership, resourcefulness and generosity etc. Hence they can undergo the Upanayana samskara at a much later age than the Brahmin boys as they have to focus more on their physical strength. Coming to the [[Vaishya Dharma (वैश्यधर्मः)|Vaishyas]], their strengths lie in understanding the principles of agriculture and business handed down from their forefathers. Thus Upanayana at different age levels for the different varnas have been fixed by the Smritis and this was based on the psychology and developmental stages of a human being. Thus educational system was totally framed around grooming the child in his future occupation as well as transmitting the knowledge to the next generation.<ref name=":1" />
== Upanayana for Girls ==
== Upanayana for Girls ==