Vasant Panchami (or Basant Panchami) is a Hindu festival celebrated in India. According to the calendar, Vasant Panchami falls on the fifth day of Shukla Paksha of Magh month. According to the English calendar it usually falls in late January or early February. Although this festival is celebrated all over India, but in Eastern India, especially in Bihar, this festival is celebrated with great joy and enthusiasm as ‘Saraswati Puja’. According to beliefs and traditions, Goddess Saraswati, the presiding deity of knowledge and wisdom, appeared on this day. Therefore, Basant Panchami is also specially celebrated as Saraswati Jayanti.
When is Vasant Panchami? – Saraswati Puja Muhurat
Wednesday, 14 February 2024
Saraswati Puja Muhurat: 7:01am to 12:35pm
Vasant Panchami midday moment: 12:35pm
Panchami Tithi: 13 February 2024, 2:41pm – 14 February 2024, 12:09pm
This year in 2024 this festival will be celebrated on 14 February.
Who is Mata Saraswati?
Goddess Saraswati, known by the names Vani, Sharda, Vageshwari, Vedmata, etc., is actually considered to be the stream of consciousness that makes the universe alive. She is the goddess of dawn whose rays of knowledge dispel the darkness of ignorance. Without his rays of wisdom there is only chaos and confusion. His white clothes are a symbol of purity. Goddess Saraswati is the symbol of whatever is pure, excellent and sublime in nature.
Worship of Goddess Saraswati on Basant Panchami
On the day of Vasant Panchami, people (especially students) worship Goddess Saraswati by offering prayers, flowers and sweets. Many educational institutions organize special prayers and programs to seek his blessings for success in education and arts. In Vidya Bharati, one of the largest school institutions of India run by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, under which Saraswati Shishu Mandir and Saraswati Vidya Mandir come, special importance is given to the worship of Mother Saraswati. Vasant Panchami is the most celebrated festival with great pomp in these schools. Havan is also organized in the school on this day. Devotees decorate their idols with flowers, offer prayers and seek their guidance for success in their endeavours.
Start day of Study
Vasant Panchami is also a day to initiate children into the world of knowledge. Therefore, this is also the beginning day of children’s education. Many families in India organize the ritual of Vidyarambham, where children are introduced to the alphabet and numbers. Many people also celebrate this day as Annaprashan (initiation of consuming grains) of their newborn babies. On this day, the first morsel can be fed to a newborn child and it is believed that writing Om with honey on the child’s tongue makes the child knowledgeable.
Yellow color has special significance
Yellow is the dominant color during Vasant Panchami celebrations, symbolizing the mustard flowers that bloom at this time of the year. People often wear yellow clothes and yellow sweets like saffron rice or kesari are prepared as prasad. From clothing to decorations and offerings, yellow color has special significance in the celebrations, symbolizing the vibrancy and happiness of spring.
Madanotsav
Vasant Panchami is celebrated as Madnotsav. Madanotsav means festival of Madan. Madan is actually a name of Kamadeva. On this day Kamadeva was incarnated in the form of Pradyumna, son of Lord Krishna. According to mythology, Kamadeva (god of longing, lust and desire) was burnt to ashes by Lord Shiva in the fire of anger of his third eye.
The importance of Vasant Panchami is also associated with Lord Shri Ram
On the same day of Vasant Panchami, Lord Shri Ram had eaten Shabari’s plum in his ashram, hence plum is offered to God on this day.
Celebration of the arrival of spring
Beyond its religious significance, Vasant Panchami is also a celebration of the rejuvenation of nature. Among the six seasons falling throughout the year (Spring, Summer, Rain, Autumn, Autumn, Winter), Spring is considered as Rituraj i.e. the king of all seasons. Lord Shri Krishna had said about himself in Srimad Bhagavad Gita – I am spring among the seasons.
Although the spring season, the best of the seasons, starts from the Pratipada of Magh, but on the day of Panchami, people’s attention is more attracted towards this season. Vasant Panchami is more than a religious ritual, it is a celebration of wisdom and the beauty of nature.
