Shashtipoorti invitation and a guide to the 60th birthday ceremony

Shashtipoorti, also written shashtiabdapoorthi, is the ceremony many South Indian families hold when the husband completes sixty years, marking a full cycle of the sixty-year calendar. It's celebrated as a ceremony for the couple: homams for long life, a kalasha abhishekam in which the couple are bathed with consecrated water, and a renewal of the wedding vows, with the husband tying a new thali. The invitation is usually sent by the children, with the date, the muhurtham, the venue and the meal.

Why sixty

The traditional Hindu calendar runs in a cycle of sixty years, each with its own name. Completing sixty years means the person has lived through a full cycle and returned to the year of their birth. In many South Indian families this is marked as a second beginning for the couple, with rituals that mirror a wedding, which is why it's so often called a second marriage.

What usually happens

1. Homams for long life and well-being, such as the ayushya homam and others chosen by the priest.
2. Kalasha puja: water in kalashas is consecrated with prayers.
3. Kalasha abhishekam: the couple are bathed with the consecrated water.
4. Renewal of vows: the couple exchange garlands, and the husband ties a new thali.
5. Blessings from elders, and the couple bless their children and grandchildren.
6. A feast, often served on banana leaves.

The milestones after sixty

What the invitation should say

• The couple's names, with the respect the family uses.
• The occasion: shashtipoorti, or the 60th birthday.
• The hosts, usually the children and their families.
• The date, the muhurtham for the main rituals, and the meal.
• The venue: home, a temple, or a kalyana mandapam.

English wording

The names, dates and places below are examples.

Tamil and Telugu headings

Many families write the heading in their own language. Have a family member who reads the script check any line before you share it.

A 60th in other families

In Gujarati, Marwari and many North Indian families, the 60th birthday is usually celebrated with a puja, sometimes a Satyanarayan katha or a havan, and a family gathering. The spirit is the same: gratitude for the years and blessings for the ones ahead. A Gujarati invitation might read:

Planning the day

• Book the priest early, and ask for the samagri list and the time each ritual will take.
• Choose the venue for the size of the family; many families use a kalyana mandapam.
• Plan the clothes: a silk saree and veshti for the couple, often new for the occasion.
• Invite the couple's siblings and old friends first; for many, it's a reunion.
• Keep the elders comfortable: the rituals are long, so plan seating, water and rest.

Choosing the date

In many families the shashtipoorti is held on the husband's birth star, his nakshatra, in the month of his birth, after he completes sixty years. Some families hold it at the start of the sixty-first year, and others choose a convenient muhurtham close to the birthday when the whole family can gather. The family priest usually advises. Once the date is fixed, tell the couple's siblings and the children who live abroad first, since they'll need the most time to plan travel.

An example day

Put the muhurtham time on the invitation, since that's the part most guests want to witness.

Gifts

Guests often give the couple clothes, silver items, or a cash gift in an envelope; close family may give gold. The children often give the couple something meaningful: a trip, jewellery, or a framed family portrait taken on the day.

Related guides

The 50th birthday guide covers a different milestone, and the 50th anniversary guide covers the golden jubilee, which sometimes falls close to a shashtipoorti. More are under birthdays.