The 16 Sanskaras in Order: Names, Ages and the Muhurat for Each

The 16 sanskaras, in order, are garbhadhana, punsavana, simantonnayana, jatakarma, namakarana, nishkramana, annaprashana, chudakarana (mundan), karnavedha, vidyarambha, upanayana, vedarambha, keshanta, samavartana, vivaha and antyeshti. Done at their shubh time, each one opens a door of your child's life well.

Last updated: 14 October 2026

A baby is on the way, or has just arrived. The family is already asking: when is the naming, when the first rice, when the mundan?

Below is every sanskara in order, the age for each, and how its day is chosen.

The 16 sanskaras in order, with the age for each

The 16 sanskaras run from conception to the last rites, and each one has a typical age or time. The ages below are the customary ones; families follow their own tradition.

Why are there 16 sanskaras?

The 16 sanskaras mark the turning points of a life, the doors a person walks through, from conception to the last rites. Each one blesses a transition, not an achievement.

Every door gets its own rite. The day a child is named, first eats rice, first meets a teacher, and later marries: each is marked on its own, at its own time.

The result? A family that keeps the sanskaras pauses at every turning point of a child's life, together.

Which sanskaras are done before birth?

Three sanskaras are done before birth: garbhadhana, punsavana and simantonnayana (godh bharai). They bless the conception, the child in the womb and the mother.

• Garbhadhana: the rite of conception
• Punsavana: the blessing in the 2nd or 3rd month
• Simantonnayana: godh bharai, seemantham or valaikappu, in the later months

Plan all three together with the pregnancy sanskara muhurats.

The sanskaras of your baby's first year

Jatakarma, namkaran, nishkramana and annaprashan fall in your baby's first year, and many families add the mundan and ear piercing soon after.

• Jatakarma: welcoming the newborn, at birth
• Namkaran: the naming, on the 11th or 12th day
• Nishkramana: the first outing, in the 4th month
• Annaprashan: the first food, around the 6th month

See every shubh date of the year on namkaran muhurat 2026, annaprashan muhurat 2026 and mundan muhurat 2026.

Does every sanskara need a muhurat?

Yes, the shastras give each sanskara its own time: the day after birth, the tithis to avoid and the nakshatras that suit it. Even the naming, over in an afternoon, has its rule:

तज्जातकर्मादि शिशोर्विघेयं पर्वाख्यरिक्तोनतिथौ शुमेऽदिन। एकादशे द्वादशकंऽपि मृदुधरुवक्िप्रचरोदुषु स्यात् ।।११।। "Jatakarma and [Namakarana, etc.] of the infant should be performed on tithis other than the parva [sankranti/festival days] and the Rikta ones, on an auspicious day; on the 11th or 12th [day from birth]; in the Mridu, Dhruva, Kshipra and Chara [nakshatra groups]." (Muhurta Chintamani 5.12)

So the day itself is chosen with care. A shubh day for your child's naming is one that passes the tithi and the nakshatra together.

How is a baby's name letter chosen?

A baby's name letter comes from the nakshatra pada the Moon was in at the moment of birth. The sky at birth is written into the name, every time it is spoken.

There are 27 nakshatras, each with 4 padas: 108 padas in all. Each pada has its own starting syllable. A child born in Ashwini, for example, gets chu, che, cho or la, by pada.

Your family astrologer or Panditji reads the pada from the exact birth time and gives you the syllable. Then hold the naming on its shubh namkaran day.

The sanskaras of childhood and youth

Mundan, karnavedha, vidyarambha and upanayana carry a child from infancy to the first teacher.

• Mundan: the first haircut, in the 1st or 3rd year. Dates on mundan muhurat 2027.
• Karnavedha: the ear piercing. Dates on karnavedha muhurat 2026.
• Vidyarambha: the first letter, on Vijayadashami or Vasant Panchami. See vidyarambham 2026.
• Upanayana: the sacred thread. Dates on janeu muhurat 2026.

Vedarambha, keshanta and samavartana follow in the student years, and close with the return home.

Marriage and the last rites

Vivaha, the fifteenth sanskara, begins the householder's life, and its muhurat is checked against both kundalis. See how to find the right wedding muhurat.

Antyeshti, the sixteenth, is the last rite, performed by the family in its own tradition.

Frequently asked questions

What are the 16 sanskaras in Hinduism?

The 16 sanskaras are the Hindu rites that mark each turning point of a life: garbhadhana, punsavana, simantonnayana, jatakarma, namakarana, nishkramana, annaprashana, chudakarana, karnavedha, vidyarambha, upanayana, vedarambha, keshanta, samavartana, vivaha and antyeshti.

What is the correct order of the 16 sanskaras?

The 16 sanskaras run in the order of a life: three before birth (garbhadhana, punsavana, simantonnayana), six in infancy and childhood (jatakarma to karnavedha), five of learning (vidyarambha to samavartana), then vivaha and antyeshti.

Which sanskara is done at what age?

Namkaran is done on the 11th or 12th day, nishkramana in the 4th month, annaprashan around the 6th month, mundan in the 1st or 3rd year, and vidyarambha between 2 and 5. These are the typical ages; families follow their own tradition.

Which sanskaras are done before a baby is born?

Garbhadhana, punsavana and simantonnayana (godh bharai) are the three sanskaras done before birth. Tarini's pregnancy sanskara muhurats plan all three together.

Is namkaran done on the 11th or the 12th day?

Namkaran is done on the 11th or the 12th day after birth, on a tithi other than the parva and rikta tithis, in a mridu, dhruva, kshipra or chara nakshatra.

How is a baby's name letter chosen?

A baby's name letter comes from the pada of the nakshatra the Moon occupied at birth. The 27 nakshatras have 4 padas each, and every pada has its own starting syllable.

Can we do our baby's sanskaras abroad?

Yes, families in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and the Gulf do every sanskara where they live. Tarini works out the muhurat for your own city, on its local date.

Your next three steps

1. Note your baby's birth date, time and city.
2. Get every first-year muhurat in one pack.
3. Tell the family the dates, and book Panditji early.

Related: Vidyarambham 2026: date and steps · What happens during a puja · How to find the right wedding muhurat · Every shubh muhurat of 2026 and 2027