I am a believer in god, but I don't chant hymns etc. I believe God is inside us, we don't have to visit temples to see god. I don't believe that God will bless me with what I desire if I pray to him, it is all destiny. I am following the traditions because it is going on for ages and it is important that it doesn't fade with coming generation. It is much like how we celebrate Diwali or Holi. Brahmopadesham actually means that the young boy is now old enough to leave the home and live a life in the woods to understand the nature and it's working, actually learn by himself, but here we are not doing that. We are just teaching him what our forefathers did. We will still provide him the life that he has been living till now. Good food, clothes and education. What say?