Basant Panchmi: Vasant Panchami, also known as Basant Panchami, is a famous Hindu festival held every year on the fifth day of the Lunar Eclipse in the Hindu calendar month of Magh (spring). The day is usually observed in January or February. On Basant Panchami, the goddess of study and knowledge, Saraswati, is worshipped. Saraswati is the goddess of knowledge, wisdom, music, art, and science. Basant Panchami will be observed on January 26 this year.
Students honour the goddess Saraswati on this day. Shri Panchami and Saraswati Panchami are other names for Vasant Panchami.
Basant Panchmi Significance:
The colour yellow has a lot of meaning on this day. People wear yellow for the event, worship the goddess Saraswati, and eat traditional delicacies. Yellow represents both knowledge and mustard fields, which herald the arrival of spring.
Basant Panchmi: Chant Saraswati Puja Mantra:
या कुन्देन्दुतुषारहारधवला या शुभ्रवस्त्रावृता या वीणावरदण्डमण्डितकरा या श्वेतपद्मासना। या ब्रह्माच्युत शंकरप्रभृतिभिर्देवैः सदा वन्दिता सा मां पातु सरस्वती भगवती निःशेषजाड्यापहा॥ शुक्लां ब्रह्मविचार सार परमामाद्यां जगद्व्यापिनीं वीणा-पुस्तक-धारिणीमभयदां जाड्यान्धकारापहाम्। हस्ते स्फटिकमालिकां विदधतीं पद्मासने संस्थिताम् वन्दे तां परमेश्वरीं भगवतीं बुद्धिप्रदां शारदाम्॥२॥
Basant Panchmi Puja Vidhi:
- Place a portrait or idol of Goddess Saraswati on a wooden pedestal covered with a red/yellow cloth.
- Keep your children’s books and a pen/pencil/slate at the Goddess’s feet.
- Turn on a bronze or earthen lamp. (Utilize ghee/mustard oil or sesame oil).
- Light many incense sticks.
- With great devotion, invite Maa Saraswati to accept your prayers and sacrifices.
- Apply a tika of Chandan and kumkum to the Goddess’s brow.
Basant Panchmi
Basant Panchmi is celebrated in India in different ways depending on the region. Vasant Panchami also marks the start of preparation for Holi, which take place forty days later. The Vasant Utsava (festival) on Panchami is celebrated forty days before spring, because any season’s transition period is 40 days, and after that, the season comes into full bloom.
