Then comes the recitation of the Devi Khadgamaala where the names of the deities are chanted. The mother is seen as the Devi as life takes form inside her. Elders also fill the lap (odi) of the mother-to-be with rice, betel leaves, nuts, fruits, and traditional gifts or jewelry like an odiyaanam (waist belt). This is to give her blessings of abundance for the child growing within her and also for the woman who is being born into a new version of herself. The mantra is believed to create a protective field around mother and child, offering the little one a sacred samskaara, a spiritual imprint formed through mantra, even before birth.
