India, Oct. 2 -- As India celebrates Vijayadashami, Kerala observes a deeply rooted tradition known as Vidyarambham, a ceremony that marks a child's formal initiation into the world of learning and education.

Thousands of toddlers were initiated into the world of letters in temples across Kerala, where the 'Vidyarambham' was held on Thursday, marking the culmination of the nine-day-long annual Navratri festival.

At the Saraswathi Devi Temple in Kerala's Poojapura, families gathered early on Dussehra morning to participate in this ritual.

Visuals that went viral on social media show some children -- usually aged two to three years -- crying or smiling during the ritual. Others were silent and curious, as scholars, writers, teachers, pri...