Pumsavana Simantonayana

These rituals are observed in India by the pregnant mother and father of the child, during the seventh or eighth month of pregnancy.

[2][3][4] The four prenatal rites which are part of the 16 samskaras (personal sacraments followed by Hindus and which are based on Grhya Sutras) performed on a single day, in the modern times, starting from morning till evening, are the following.

[5] Pumsavana (Sanskrit: पुंसवन, Puṁsavana) is also a vedic prescribed rite that is performed to beget a son.

Another related rite that used to be observed in the earlier days, as a separate ritual, but is now combined with Srimantham, in South India is called the puchutal meaning "adorning the head of the expectant mother with flowers".

In the traditional practice, the parents of the expectant mother offer gifts of new clothes, sweets, betel leaves and nuts and coconuts to their daughter and son-in-law.

[4] Food prepared on this occasion is special and consist of rice, sambhar, rasam, chutney, two or three types of vegetable dishes, payasam, laddu, curd and appalam, and many more items.