Goddess of knowledge

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 prayer for Saraswati. The color yellow also plays a vital role in this festival, in that people usually wear yellow garments, Saraswati is worshipped dressed in yellow, and yellow sweets are consumed within the families.

Also known as Saraswati Puja, this festival is celebrated in Nepal, India and Bangladesh to invoke wisdom and consciousness in human beings. Apart from wisdom, Saraswati is also the deity for fine and performing arts. In West Bengal saraswati puja is celebrated in Hindu households and also in schools and colleges. Bengali men are usually dressed in traditional dhoti kurtas. Women are dressed in yellow saries. With Her grace, the mute were able to speak and people have been blessed with the ability to compose literature. Most new people in the arts or music industry choose to begin their careers on this day. Devi Saraswati also showers Her blessings for students.Notebooks, pencils and pens are kept at the Devis feet for blessings and then used by the students. A noticeboard asks the students to write their names, address and the roll number on a piece of paper and put it in the havan kund that was used for pooja after praying for success. It is believed that they are blessed with good and positive results.