BELIEFS REGARDING BIRTH OF CHILDREN

These are many and varied. A child should not be born at mid day or at mid night. A child should not be born with Chitrai as the birth star, because, Chitra guptan, the faithful servant of Yama was born in this star.

Birth in swati star is said to be bad for any child. A boy is extremely lucky to be born in Moola but woe unto a girl born under this star. A person is considered fortunate if he has a piece of agricultural land near his village and a child born in Uttradam star. He who is born in Bharani will rule the earth. A grand father may, prefer to death to hearing that his grand son's star is Kettai. A father will become a beggar if a boy is born in the Chitrai star. A birth in Rohini is inauspicious for the child's uncle. A girl born in avittam will find gold even in a pot of bran. Pooradam is an undesirable star for girls.

Daughter should be born in odd number in the sequence of birth i.e. first, third, fifth children should be girls. A fourth-born girl is said to ruin the house, but a fifth-born girl will bring gold to the house. A fifth born boy will squander away all the wealth. A six-born girl brings either prosperity or poverty. A seventh-born girl will utter poverty to the family. She cannot be successful even as a beggar. An eighth-born girl destroys everything. She has a glimpse of Ettavathu penn ettipatha idam kuttichuvaru. A tenth-born girl makes wealth fly away like cotton. In view of these beliefs, contracting parties to a marriage make enquires about the number of the birth of the groom or bride.

When twins are born, if both of them are boys, the family is said to have turned a leaf for the better and there is very great rejoicing. It is not inauspicious if both the children are girls. A boy and a girl born together forebode evil to the family.