Basant Panchami marks the start of the spring season. Saraswati puja is another name for Basant Panchami (Vasant Panchami). Usually, this day occurs in early to late February or late January. Goddess Saraswati, the goddess of language, art, music, and wisdom, is honoured on this day. On the fifth day of the bright half of the Hindu month of Magha, Basant Panchami is celebrated.
Throughout the nation, Basant Panchami is celebrated with great zeal and enthusiasm each year. The festival of Basant Panchami, often referred to as Saraswati Puja in several Indian regions, honours the goddess Saraswati.
The goddess of wisdom, learning, and information is Saraswati. It is thought that by offering her sincere and focused prayers, we might contribute to illuminating the path of wisdom. The goddess of the arts, technology, music, and dance is Saraswati. Seekers of excellence in various domains offer prayers to the goddess to receive her favours.
On this auspicious day, it is said that praying to the Goddess might help us overcome any fears and let our creativity flow freely. Saraswati Puja is held at colleges and schools.
Basant Panchami 2024: Date, Timings and Muhurat
| Basant Panchami 2024 Date | February 14, 2024 |
| Saraswati Puja 2024 Day | Wednesday |
| Panchami Tithi Starts | 2:41 PM on February 13 |
| Panchami Tithi Ends | 12:09 PM on February 14 |
Saraswati Puja, also known as Basant Panchami, will take place on Wednesday, February 14, 2024. The Panchami Tithi will begin on February 13 at 2:41 PM and end on February 14 at 12:09 PM.
Basant Panchami is observed on the fifth day of the bright half of the Hindu month of Magha, which often occurs in late January or early February. It is thought that every season requires forty days to reach its peak before spring arrives.
Hindus around the world, including those in Bangladesh, Nepal, India, and many other places, regularly celebrate this holiday. As Hari Raya Saraswati, it is also celebrated in some areas of Bali and Indonesia.
Rituals Of Basant Panchami
Devotees take an early bath and get up early on this day. They also observe a day-long fast. They set the Goddess Saraswati’s statue on a stool and decorate it with garlands and flowers. The Goddess is served fruits and sweets. To obtain the Goddess’ blessings, students store their books and musical instruments in the puja area.
The worshippers break their fast with prasad after offering prayers to the goddess. The initiation ceremony known as Akshar-Abhyasam, Vidya-Arambham, or Praasana is well-known for being carried out on Basant Panchami.
Significance Of Basant Panchami
- People worship the goddess Saraswati and make sacrifices to succeed in her favour. Pushpanjali is a floral offering offered to the Goddess of Knowledge to placate her.
- People generally wear yellow clothing since the colour yellow stands for vitality, wisdom, and enlightenment. Yellow is the colour of the Goddess herself. Traditionally, yellow-coloured delicacies are presented to the god on this day. From delicious kheer, ladoos, khichdi, pulao, sweet ber, and fruits, food infuses the celebration with a little fervour.
- This is the day that young children enter the world of school for the first time, symbolizing the auspicious beginning of learning in a variety of subjects.
- Hindus celebrate Saraswati Puja extensively around the world, including in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal.
- A special prasad consisting of Sev, Boondi, and green Ber is offered to the Goddess along with Dahi and Chidwa during the significant festival of Saraswati Pooja.
Traditional Ways To Celebrate Basant Panchami Across India
The devotion of Goddess Saraswati is the festival’s focal point. In the neighbouring temples, people fervently dress in her favourite colour, yellow, and offer prayers in front of her sculptures and idols.
The goddess is worshipped in educational institutions as well, where unique prayers and pujas are performed in her honour to ask for her blessings on increased intelligence and understanding. Music and poetry programs are arranged as a show of respect as well.
Bengal And Bihar
Saffron is used in Bengal and Bihar to make rice meals and desserts with a yellow hue. Along with Ganga jal and mango wood, delicacies like boondi, laddoo, kheer, malpua, kesar halwa, kesari bhaat, sondesh, and rajbhog are served.
Odisha
Numerous institutions and schools in Odisha provide their pupils with yagnas and homas. On this auspicious day, toddlers between the ages of 2 and 5 begin their official education in the Khadi-Chuan or Vidya-Arambha, where they are exposed to the local language, music, and dance.
Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh
In these states, the mythology holds that on this day, Lord Shiva was awakened from his meditation to attend to his bride, Parvati, by the Hindu deity of love, Madana, who fired arrows of flowers and bees.
For this reason, people in these states also visit Shiva temples to adore the couple and present them with ears of wheat and mango blossoms. Saraswati statues are ceremoniously dipped in the Ganga River in Uttar Pradesh.
Punjab
The Sikhs in this Northern state celebrate the holiday called Basant Panchami. Both children and adults participate in energetic kite-flying events while wearing bright yellow clothing and turbans. Sikhs also remember Haqiqat Singh’s death on this day. Singh was jailed by Muslim ruler Zakariya Khan on spurious charges of defaming Islam.
Rajasthan
Women and little girls are traditionally dressed in jasmine garlands here.
