Vasant Panchami

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Vasant Panchami is a Hindu festival dedicated to Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge, music and art. The goddess represents the free flow of wisdom and consciousness. She is the mother of the Vedas, and chants to her, called the 'Saraswati Vandana' often begin and end Vedic lessons. It also has seasonal and social significance as Vasant means, 'The Spring Season. It is celebrated by Hindus all over the world with verve and new sense of optimism. It is celebrated every year on the fifth day (Panchami) of the Indian month Magh (January-February), the first day of spring. The colour yellow  also plays an important 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. Traditionally during this festival children are taught to write their first words; brahmins are fed; ancestor worship (Pitr-tarpan) is performed; the god of love Kamadeva  is worshipped; and most educational institutions organise special prayer for Saraswati.

History - Saraswati is the daughter of Lord Shiva and Goddess Durga. She is also the consort of Lord Brahma (Lord of Creation). She is the personification of all knowledge - arts, sciences, crafts and other skills. It is believed that goddess Saraswati endows human beings with the powers of speech, wisdom and learning. She has four hands representing four aspects of human personality in learning: mind, intellect, alertness and ego. She has sacred scriptures in one hand and a lotus – the symbol of true knowledge – in the second. With her other two hands she plays the music of love and life on a string instrument called the veena. She is dressed in white – the symbol of purity – and rides on a white swan – symbolizing Sattwa Guna or purity and discrimination. Saraswati is also a prominent figure in Buddhist iconography - the consort of Manjushri.

The learned and the erudite attach greater importance to the worship of goddess Saraswati. As a practice, only educated people worship her for knowledge and wisdom. They believe that only Saraswati can grant them 'moksha' - the final liberation of the soul. Saraswati's birthday - Vasant Panchami - is a Hindu festival celebrated every year on the 5th day of the bright fortnight of the lunar month of Magha. Hindus celebrate this festival with great fervour in temples, homes and educational institutes alike.

Events - This festival is especially 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.

Celebrations include:

• The day is also called Basant Panchami which falls in Falgun month of Bangla / Oriya calendar; that is February of the Gregorian calendar. In West Bengal & Orissa saraswati puja is celebrated in Hindu households and also in schools and colleges.

• Bengali/ Oriya men are usually dressed in traditional paijama and punjabi. Women are dressed in yellow (basanti) coloured sari.

• Musicians sing here and many even choose to perform here first. Instrumentalists have puja performed for their instruments here. Apart from art and culture, Goddess Saraswati also showers her blessings for the education of children.

• Notebooks, pencils and pens are kept at the Devi's 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 Hundi(pot) after praying for success. It is believed the Goddess blesses them for good and positive results.

Alternate Names - Basant Panchami, Shree Panchami, Saraswati Puja, Saraswati Day

Holiday Status - It is a Holiday in most of the Northern India.