Jatakarma is the samskara performed at or soon after birth to welcome the child into the world and the family. In the traditional rite, the father greets the newborn, touches honey and ghee to the baby's tongue (medhajanana, "awakening intelligence") with a gold ring or implement, and whispers sacred mantras — often the word "vak" (speech) or the Gayatri — into the infant's ear, praying for intellect, strength, and long life. The birth nakshatra and exact time are noted for the child's janma kundali (birth chart). In contemporary practice, jatakarma is often performed in simplified form or combined with Namakarana, the naming ceremony held around the eleventh or twelfth day.