Vasant Panchami

1. Vasant Panchami sometimes referred to as Saraswati Puja, Shree Panchami, or the Basant Festival of Kites is a Sikh and Hindu festival held on the fifth day of Magha marking the start of spring and the Holi season. On this day Hindus worship Saraswati Devi, the goddess of knowledge, music, art and culture.For Sikhs, in the Harmandir Sahib, Amritsar, on the day of Vasant Panchmi, musicians start the music by singing Basant Raga. This practice conti .....

Occurrence

2. Vasant Panchami is the first and more minor of two spring themed festivals in Hindu culture. Vasant Panchami initiates the spring festive cycle and heralds its summation that occurs with Holi.The seasonal aspects of the festival are more significant in Northern India due to the sharper contrast between the winter and the spring,however the festivals religious and cultural significance are emphasized across all celebrating regions. In ancient Indi .....

Traditions

3. During the ancient period when Vasant Panchami was more oriented toward Kamadeva, dancing girls, dhol players, and other celebrants would come to the royal Bakshis palace to create an informal durbar with the royals. Specially made Vasanti clothes would be worn by the dancing girls and younger royal ladies, consisting of a skirt, blouse, and pink or saffron sari with tiny red square or circular dots. This clothing would be further embellished wit .....

Celebrations

4. Vasant Panchami is an important Indian festival celebrated every year in the month of Magh according to the Hindu calendar. Celebrated on the fifth day of Magh, the day falls somewhere in the months of February or March according to the Gregorian calendar. The significance of the day lies in the worship of Goddess Saraswati, symbol of wisdom and also the onset of spring season. According to the popular belief, the origins of this festival lie in .....

Significance

5. The festival of Basant Panchami is dedicated to Saraswati, the Goddess of Wisdom. According to the Hindu mythology, the goddess symbolizes constant flow of knowledge and wisdom. Vasant Panchami is also believed as the birthday of Goddess Saraswati. The spring festival of Basant Panchami is especially celebrated in the institutions of learning. As Saraswati is the goddess of learning, Students observe the blessings from Maa Saraswati. Spring is th .....

Birthday of Goddess Saraswati

6. It is believed that on this day goddess Saraswati was born. Hindus celebrate Vasant Panchami with great fervor in temples, homes and even schools and colleges. Saraswati .....

The Foundation of Education

7. The most significant aspect of Vasant Panchami is that it is also the most auspicious day to begin laying one .....

A springtime celebration

8. During Vasant Panchami, the advent of spring is felt in the air as the season undergoes change. New leaves and blossoms appear in the trees with the promise of new life and hope. Vasant Panchami also announces the arrival of another big springtime event in the Hindu calendar Holi, the festival of colors. .....

Saraswati mantra

9. Here is the text of the popular pranam mantra or Sanskrit prayer, Saraswati devotees utter with utmost devotion on this day: Om Saraswati Mahabhagey, Vidye Kamala Lochaney | Viswarupey Vishalakshmi, Vidyam Dehi Namohastutey || Jaya Jaya Devi, Charachara Sharey, Kuchayuga Shobhita, Mukta Haarey | Vina Ranjita, Pustaka Hastey, Bhagavati Bharati Devi Namohastutey || .....

Saraswati vandana

10. The following hymn is also recited on Vasant Panchami: Yaa Kundendu tushaara haaradhavalaa, Yaa shubhravastraavritha| Yaa veenavara dandamanditakara, Yaa shwetha padmaasana|| Yaa brahmaachyutha shankara prabhritibhir Devaisadaa Vanditha| Saa Maam Paatu Saraswatee Bhagavatee Nihshesha jaadyaapahaa|| .....

Goddess of knowledge

11. Basant Panchami a festival celebrated in honour of Maa Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge, music and art. It is celebrated every year on the fifth day of the Shukla Paksh or bright half of the month Magh , the first day of spring. Traditionally during this festival children are taught to write their first words; brahmins are fed; ancestor worship, shrad, is performed; the god of love Kam dev is alsoworshipped; and most schools organise special p .....

Rituals

12. There are various rituals that are followed in the worshipping of goddess Saraswati. The ones common to all those worshipping Saraswati are that the idol of the goddess is clothed in white, the other predominant colour in the celebrations is yellow, to indicate the onset of spring and the blossoming of mustard flowers. Families dressed in bright yellow gather together before the idol of Saraswati and pray for the blessing of knowledge. Flowers, f .....

Celebration in Different States

13. Vasant Panchni also known as Saraswati Puja is known as Basant Panchmi in Punjab. People in north India fly kites to celebrate the day. The sky can be seen full of colourful kites flying all over the blue space. In Orissa, Bhuvaneshwar gears itself for celebration of Vasant Panchami. The festival is rejoiced with great fervor in cities like Cuttack, Bhuvaneshwar, Rourkela and Berhampur. West Bengal is not lagging behind when it comes to the c .....

How to celebrate basant panchami

14. Vasant Panchami is an important Indian festival celebrated every year in the month of Magh according to the Hindu calendar. Vasant Panchami, also known as Saraswati Puja, Shree Panchami, or the Basant Festival of Kites is a Sikh and Hindu festival held on the fifth day of Magha Vasant Panchami day is dedicated to Maa Saraswati, the Goddess of knowledge, music, arts, science and technology. Goddess Saraswati is worshiped on Vasant Panchami day. Va .....

Maa saraswati

15. Maa Saraswati is strongly worshiped as the goddess of knowledge & purity. She is depicted as a beautiful woman with four arms, and is usually shown wearing a spotless white sari and seated on a white lotus. She rides a white swan. She is the mother of the Vedas. .....

Students worship

16. elebrated Basant Panchami with the worship of goddess Saraswati here on Friday. Students thronged the city temples for paying obeisance while sweet yellow coloured dishes were cooked to mark the festival. The festival was also celebrated in schools. Thousands of devotees visited Bada Gopal Mandir, Chhatri Chowk. Idols of Lord Krishna and Radha, Balram were beautifully decorated in yellow robes. Dresses were made in Mathura and especially ordere .....

Celebration in school

17. The children of the pre primary wing came dresses in yellow clothes, offered yellow colored flowers to the Goddess and also brought yellow colored food in their tiffins. The dress code of the teachers on that day was also yellow.assembled together to pray and attain blessings from Goddess Saraswati to reach the epitome of knowledge. The pooja started with a beautiful Saraswati vandana and after that Prasad was distributed among the children. Th .....

Yellow sweet

18. Boondi ke laddoo: Moulded sweet made from small dumplings of gram flour, fried and dipped in sugar syrup and garnished with nuts. Besan ke laddoo: A moulded sweet made from roasted gram flour and powdered sugar. Nariyal ki burfi: A rich coconut fudge flavoured with saffron. .....

Symbolism and iconography

19. The goddess Saraswati is often depicted as a beautiful woman dressed in pure white, often seated on a white lotus, which symbolizes light, knowledge and truth. She not only embodies knowledge but also the experience of the highest reality. Her iconography is typically in white themes from dress to flowers to swan the colour symbolizing Sattwa Guna or purity, discrimination for true knowledge, insight and wisdom. She is generally shown to have .....

Goddess for Arts and Crafts

20. This festival is held in the month of Magh January February. It is a festival celebrated by the youth, particularly students who invoke the blessings of the goddess for success in learning, arts and crafts. More than any other state, Saraswati Puja is celebrated in West Bengal in a splendid manner. Next to West Bengal it is celebrated in southern states of India such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh etc. in schools, colleges and homes. Sa .....