In Hinduism, Sanskaras are the sacraments or rites of passage that mark the important stages of an individual's life. There are sixteen Sanskaras or sacraments in Hinduism, which are as follows:
Garbhadhana: This Sanskar is performed before conception and is meant to ensure the birth of a healthy child.
Pumsavana: This Sanskar is performed during the third month of pregnancy and is meant to ensure the health and well-being of the mother and the child.
Simantonnayana: This Sanskar is performed during the seventh month of pregnancy and involves parting the mother's hair and praying for the health and well-being of the mother and the child.
Jatakarma: This Sanskar is performed immediately after the birth of the child and involves naming the child and invoking the blessings of the gods for the child's well-being.
Namakarana: This Sanskar involves giving the child a name and is usually performed on the tenth or twelfth day after birth.
Nishkramana: This Sanskar involves taking the child out of the house for the first time and is performed when the child is three months old.
Annaprashana: This Sanskar involves feeding the child solid food for the first time and is performed when the child is six months old.
Chudakarana: This Sanskar involves shaving the child's head and is performed when the child is one or two years old.
Karnavedha: This Sanskar involves piercing the child's ears and is performed when the child is three or five years old.
Upanayana: This Sanskar is the initiation into the study of the Vedas and is performed when the child is between eight and twelve years old.
Vedarambha: This Sanskar involves the commencement of Vedic studies and is performed after Upanayana.
Samavartana: This Sanskar marks the completion of Vedic studies and is performed when the student is ready to leave the Gurukul.
Vivaha: This Sanskar involves marriage and is one of the most important Sanskaras in Hinduism.
Vanaprastha: This Sanskar involves the retirement of the individual from worldly affairs and the beginning of a life of spiritual pursuit.
Sannyasa: This Sanskar involves the renunciation of all worldly attachments and the beginning of a life of spiritual contemplation.
Antyeshti: This Sanskar is the funeral rite and is performed after the death of an individual.