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CRADLE (Beshik) When a child is born in a family Uzbeks call respected mullah, who sings azan to the new-born (azan is welcome prayer). The child hears his/her name for the first time in azan. According to the popular belief after the carrying out this ritual a new-born will grow to a noble and kind person. The name of new-born is pronounced directly to his/her ears. After the birth of a child so called great and small chilla begins. Small chilla lasts for twenty days and during this time access to the child is  limited to all except the parents, a nurse and other close people due to the necessity. Great chilla lasts forty days during which the ceremony of putting the child to beshik (cradle) is held. All close people take part in this process.
The main point of chilla is that during a certain period outsiders are not allowed to the childs room. After the dusk the father and the mother should not go out and nobody should come in home in the late ours. If even an important guest is informed about chilla he will understand the hosts and come the next day earlier. This is done to prevent new-born from an evil eye or spirit as well as with a view of hygiene. During chilla mother and child is looked after well; they are kept in a clean and tidy room.
If the new-born is the first child in a family, then new cradle beshik is bought in a bazaar. In case of the second or third child he/she can be put to the beshik of his brother or sister. Beshik is the home of the child where he lies for most part of his days till he/she can walk. Beshik holds a particular position in the life of Uzbeks. Beshik is very convenient and useful including in hygienic regard. The child always dry and neat in it. Beshik is made from the fruit type of trees. There is a special opening in its four wooden leg construction. In the upper head and lower feet parts of the bed there are two veneer arcs, which are connected by a strong carved wooden axis. There is a handle on each of the arcs for rocking the cradle.
Beshik is usually made from mulberry or willow wood. In order not to overturne beshik and rock strongly its bottom is made from heavy mulberry, while upper arcs, thick axis and handles are from willow wood and branches so that beshik is rocked easily and freely.
Many generations can grow in a firm, convenient and beautiful beshik. There are some people who have grown up in the beshik of their father. It is a good luck for a young mother to grow her child in such a old beshik which is supposed to bring happiness. Therefore beshik is a holy object in every Uzbek family and even when they do not have a new-born, they never throw it out. It is always kept in each family.
Beshik is covered over with soft furnishings: coverlet in the summer and a velvet blanket in the winter. According to the gender of a child only sumac (small tube for taking aside urine). Usually elder woman like grandmother puts a child to beshik for the first time and shows the way how to fasten the child to it. Babys body is dubbed with lubricating oil. Mattress of a beshik is filled with the husk of millet so that childs body is not stuck to a bed and moved freely. Two belts made from silk firmly tie together hands and legs of a child in beshik. These belts are rolled on the upper wooden axis.
Many necessary conditions both for a mother and a child is taken into account in beshik. A slice of bread and tile-handle knife are put under the pillow to keep off evil spirit. To make beshik rock smoothly and calmly there are bow-shaped planks between its head and foot legs. If the mother is busy with other activity she can cradle the beshik with a long thread from a distance.
There is also a summer type of beshik called belanchak. It is widely used in rural areas. A blanket is put in the middle of two thick threads which are attached to two bearings in a verandah or to two trees in a garden. There are two sticks in head and foot side of the bed in order to separate threads. The bed of belanchak is made in accordance with the body of a child. Belanchak is only summer type of beshik for 1-2 months and surely cannot replace it completely.
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