Basant Panchami will be celebrated on the 5th of February 2022, a Sunday. The day is dedicated to Goddess Saraswati who is the Goddess of knowledge, music, arts, science, and technology. On the day of Vasant Panchami, Goddess Saraswati is worshipped and it is also known as Shri Panchami and Saraswati Panchami.
Goddess Saraswati is worshipped by people to get enlightened with knowledge and to get rid of lethargy, sluggishness, and ignorance. Akshar Abhyasam or Vidhya Arambham/ Praasana is the ritual initiating education to children which is one of the famous rituals of Basant Panchami. In the morning to seek the blessings of the Goddess the schools and colleges arrange pujas.
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The Goddess Saraswati is considered the goddess of intellect and learning. She has four hands that symbolize intellect, alertness, ego, and the mind. She plays music on the veena (an instrument that is similar to a sitar) and carries a lotus and scriptures in two of her hands. She has a white swan as her ride and it signifies that people should have the ability to discern the good from the bad. She wears a white dress which is a symbol of purity. The lotus on which goddess Saraswati is sitting is symbolized her wisdom and she is also well versed in the experience of truth. When we see the goddess sitting on a peacock it is symbolized as a reminder that a strong ego can be held back by wisdom.
What Should We Do on Basant Panchami?
Basant Panchami is a famous festival that marks the end of the winter season and the start of springtime. Goddess Saraswati is known as the Hindu goddess of the Basant Panchami festival. Young girls and women wear bright yellow dresses at this festival. You must be wondering why the yellow color so let me tell you the color yellow holds a very special meaning in the celebration of Basant Panchami as it signifies the brilliance of nature and focuses on the vibrancy of life. During the festival the whole place bursts with yellow color.
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People get ready and dress up in yellow color and offer yellow flowers to others and to the gods and goddesses. Special food like Kesar halwa is prepared and feasted on this special day which is made from flour, nuts, sugar, and cardamom powder. This dish also includes some saffron strands which give a vibrant yellow color to the halwa and mild fragrance.
During this festival of Basant Panchami, India’s crop fields are filled with yellow color as the yellow mustard flowers bloom at this time of the year. Pens, pencils, and notebooks are placed near the goddess’s feet to get blessings before they are used by students.
Basant Panchami – Amazing Facts and Stories
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As well all know that Basant Panchami is marked as the day of Goddess Saraswati who is the deity of art, music, and knowledge. The festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm and zeal in the states of West Bengal and is famously known as Saraswati Pooja.
It is famous for the use of the color ‘Yellow’ which is seen everywhere on this festival from garments to food that is prepared on that day.
- The Nizamuddin Dargah at Delhi also observes a Sufi Muslim Basant it’s a bizarre yet secular turn of events that started when legend poet Amir Khusrau saw Indian women carrying yellow flowers to the temple dressed up in yellow sarees to the temple on this auspicious occasion of Basant Panchami and he was spellbound with the beauty the festival has and since then it is celebrated with great pomp under the Chisti order.
- This festival holds great significance in the educational institutes and prayers are offered at the beginning of this festival at the schools and homes. Families try that their newborns speak their first word on this special day and engage in some poetic as well as a musical exchange to seek the blessings of goddess Saraswati.
- In the parts of Gujarat, Basant Panchami is celebrated in the lieu of love and anticipation with kamdev as well as his wife, Rati as they are the recipients of all the prayers. Whereas, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh worship Lord Shiva and Parvati.
- On the day of Basant Panchami, the Sun God temple situated at Aurangabad is washed, the statutes are cleaned and clothes are changed followed by a grand celebration on this day.
- The newly wed couple of Maharashtra visits the temple to seek the blessings of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Sikhs and Hindus go in Amber turbans and headdresses as they celebrate Basant Panchami while flying kites. The festival of kites is also witnessed in the regions of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.
- Goddess Saraswati the deity of knowledge, music, arts, science, and wisdom was born on this auspicious day according to Hindu mythology.
- The god of affection and desire, Kamdev who was burnt to ashes by Lord Shiva was bought into life on this day after his wife Rati did 40 days of atonement to get her husband back.
- Basant means spring and Panchami mean the fifth day of Magha on which the festival falls.
Importance of Wearing Yellow on Basant Panchami
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- Yellow is also called Basant in Hindi as it marks the end of the winter season and is the beginning of the spring season. It is the beginning of sunshine, of bright and sunny days.
- In Vasstu, colors are given importance and their impact on our lives. And yellow color helps our inner soul to stay balanced all through.
- Yellow means the beginning, whether it be the morning sun or the fire around us, it is a fresh start and a new choice.
- The shade of yellow attracts all that which has to do with strength and perseverance.
- The yellow color is also considered the color of Hope, the color of life, and of staying positive.
- Yellow means health and well being which is a very prominent shade in fruits.
How to Celebrate Basant Panchami?
Basant Panchami is celebrated in various states of India with lots of joy and happiness.
Punjab & Haryana
Basant Panchami or should I say Basant Panchami is celebrated with a lot of fervor and enthusiasm in Punjab and Haryana. Like all the other Indian festivals Basant Panchami cannot be complete without some seasonal delicacies and Meethe Chawal is one such mouthwatering sweet dish that is served in Punjab with other dishes like Makke ki Roti and Sarso Da Saag. The other characteristic of this season is the sight of wide patched of fields that are filled with mustard crops
Bengal
In Bengal, Saraswati Puja is served as a children’s festival. The children do the preparations to pray to the goddess for knowledge and wisdom. And once they perform the pooja they go out to enjoy the day. Wearing yellow is considered auspicious on this day so women wear yellow sarees while men wear dhoti or pajama. They eat khichuri which is a blend of rice and pulses which is paired up with various fritters and sweets like payesh and rajbhog are savored on Saraswati Puja.
Odisha
Another state that observes Saraswati Puja is Odhisha. Pushpanjali is offered to the deity and bright and yellow flowers are used. As the goddess, Saraswati is the goddess of music, learning, and culture, the musicians and singers also observe the day with great devotion.
Assam
The birth of goddess Saraswati is associated with rising early in the morning, cleaning the surrounding of the house and the puja area. Once they have done the cleaning people wear clean new clothes and sit together to pray to the goddess Saraswati.