Vasant Panchami marks the end of the winter season and the heralding of spring! But did you know that Goddess Saraswati is worshiped on this day? Check out the space below to learn about Vasant Panchami 2024 and why and how Goddess Saraswati is worshiped. Keep scrolling down!
India is a land of a myriad of festivals, all celebrated with zeal and gusto. One such festival is Vasant Panchami. Vasant Panchami, or Basant Panchami, is a Hindu festival that is celebrated to worship the divine Goddess Saraswati. This glorious festival marks the initial preparations for the arrival of spring and is celebrated in different ways in different regions of India.
Let’s get to know more, shall we?
According to the Hindu calendar, the Vasant Panchami festival is observed on the 'Panchami' or the 5th day of the Shukla Paksha in Magh, which honors the onset of the spring season in India. This time of the year corresponds to January and February as per the Gregorian calendar.
Given below are the Vasant Panchami 2024 date and time.
Vasant Panchami Date: February 14, 2024 (Wednesday)
Vasant Panchami Saraswati Puja Time: 07:01 AM to 12:35 PM (IST)
Vasant Panchami Madhyahna Puja Time: 12:35 PM (IST)
Start of Panchami Tithi: 02:40 PM, February 13, 2024 (IST)
End of Panchami Tithi: 12:08 AM, February 14, 2024 (IST)
Vasant Panchami marks the end of chilly days and welcomes the vibrancy of the spring season. On this occasion, Hindu devotees worship Goddess Saraswati. It is one of the essential rituals; this is why for most Hindus, the festival of Vasant Panchami is dedicated to the divine Goddess Saraswati and is also popularly known as 'Saraswati Panchami' or 'Shri Panchami.' Goddess Saraswati is recognized as the deity of knowledge, wisdom, learning, the arts, and music. Devotees worship Goddess Saraswati to obtain enlightenment and get rid of ignorance. After all, Goddess Saraswati is the representation of knowledge and symbolizes creative energy in all its forms.
It is a traditional belief that Goddess Saraswati was born on this day. According to Hindu mythology, it is also believed that Lord Brahma created the universe of this day. On Vasant Panchami, devotees pray to Goddess Saraswati and seek her divine blessings to get wisdom. Many astrologers consider Vasant Panchami to be 'Abhuja'day, meaning it is an auspicious day for doing any good or pious work. Thus, it is regarded as a propitious time to get married, begin new ventures, perform the Griha Pravesh (housewarming) ceremony, and more.
As mentioned earlier, Vasant Panchami marks the beginning of the spring season. Spring, the "king of all seasons," not only brings warmer days and a wave of rejuvenation, but it is also when the mustard crop blooms yellow flowers. The color' yellow' of the mustard flowers is closely associated with this festival. Yellow is seen as this day's color as it symbolizes spring's arrival. It represents knowledge, light, prosperity, and peace. Additionally, yellow also signifies life's positive energy.
On this occasion, people wear yellow-colored clothes. Goddess Saraswati's idols are adorned in yellow sarees, as devotees believe yellow to be one of her favorite colors. Worshiping Goddess Saraswati with turmeric (Haldi) has a major significance on this day. People also prefer to eat food that is yellow, as it symbolizes our respect for nature and its natural beauty and Goddess Saraswati. Additionally, the yellow color is also indicative of the crop that is ready to be harvested; hence, this color becomes an indication of prosperity. This color and the occasion itself, thus, also become crucial for agriculture.
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As per the customs, Goddess Saraswati is worshiped on this occasion. This becomes an important day for students and people associated with the field of music, literature, arts, education, etc.
Let's know a little about Vasant Panchami Puja Vidhi's (method).
Wake up in the morning and take a bath. After bathing, wear clean clothes. You can wear yellow clothes on this occasion.
Clean the place of worship, and place an idol or statue of Goddess Saraswati at the altar or Puja room.
You must place a fresh yellow cloth and put the picture or idol in the center. Offer yellow clothes to Goddess Saraswati’s idol and adorn her with those.
Offer sandalwood, turmeric, saffron, yellow and white flowers, Roli, and Akshat to Goddess Saraswati. Presenting yellow or white flowers to the Goddess on this day is considered auspicious. Also, offer yellow sweets to her, which are later distributed among people as Prasad.
Musical instruments, stationery items, notebooks, and books are revered on this day. Offer these items to Goddess Saraswati while worshiping her and place them in front of the idol or close to it.
If you are performing the Puja yourself, take a plate and adorn it with Kumkum, rice, flowers, and turmeric. Offer it to the Goddess and seek their blessings.
Light a Diya and some incense sticks to offer prayers to the Goddess. Worship Goddess Saraswati, recite the Puja Mantra, and do Aarti at the end.
After this, distribute the Prasad among everyone.
Saraswati Puja consists of a ritual wherein education is initiated for children. This is when the first education lessons are given to young children. This ritual is referred to as the Vidyarambham or Aksharabhyasam. Children, who are initiated into education, write their first characters on this occasion. Moreover, most schools and colleges organize a Puja on their premises to seek the Goddess's blessings.
Whether in households or educational institutes, Vasant Panchami is celebrated by singing a prayer in praise of Goddess Saraswati. No studies are conducted on this occasion as it is a well-known belief that the Goddess is blessing the study materials.
Vasant Panchami festival is celebrated in different ways in different regions of India. The Eastern parts of India, especially West Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha, predominantly commemorate this day as Saraswati Puja. In North India, especially Punjab, this occasion is celebrated as the festival of kites. Saraswati Puja is also observed in many educational institutes in Northern India. In the Indian state of Rajasthan, it is customary for people to wear garlands of Jasmine flowers. As Goddess Saraswati is regarded as the benefactor of all arts, many Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists also worship Goddess Saraswati.
Furthermore, many educational institutes organize cultural functions devoted to Goddess Lakshmi. Students and teachers wear yellow-colored clothes and offer prayers to the Goddess. Poetic and musical gatherings are also organized in many places to celebrate this occasion and to revere Goddess Saraswati. Children fly colorful kites, and the sky becomes splattered with different hues. Women also make beautiful floral designs at their homes' entrances to welcome Goddess Saraswati and the spring season. Worshiping Goddess Saraswati on this day proves fruitful for every devotee.
Vasant Panchami holds immense seasonal, religious, and social significance in Hinduism and is celebrated with much gaiety.
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