Basant Panchami or Vasant Panchami is also known as Saraswati Puja and marks the arrival of the spring festival. The festival is celebrated at the end of the Magha month which is generally the end of January and the start of February. This is because according to Hindu mythology, it was on this day that Lord Brahma created the universe.
The festival is known as Saraswati Puja In the eastern part of India, specifically in Bihar and West Bengal. But in Northern India, especially in Punjab, people celebrate the festival by flying kites, while in Rajasthan, it is traditional to wear jasmine garlands on this auspicious day. Basant Panchami also signals the beginning of preparations for the festival of colors – Holi, which takes place after forty days.
Celebrations
Basant Panchami is celebrated across the country with slightly different traditions. Delicious traditional dishes are cooked and enjoyed on this day. While in North India, especially in Punjab and Haryana, people fly kites, in eastern part of the country like West Bengal, it is celebrated as Saraswati Puja. In the southern states, it is known as Sri Panchami. In Gujarat, bouquet and garlands of flowers set with mango leaves are exchanged as gifts. In the states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh people worship Shiva and Parvati on this day.
History of Basant Panchami
The legends says that Kalidasa saddened by the abandonment from his wife planned to commit suicide by drowning himself in a river. He was about to do that when goddess Saraswati came out of the water and asked Kalidasa to take a bath in it. His life changed thereafter as he got blessed with wisdom and became a great poet.
Another legend is based on the Hindu god of love Kama. According to mythology, Kamadeva once disrupted Lord Shiva’s meditation. Shiva was immersed in deep meditation after his wife Sati’s demise. To awaken him from the meditation, seers approached Kama so that Shiva could reconnect with the world and notice Maa Parvati’s efforts for him. Kama agreed and shot arrows, made of flowers and bees, at Shiva from his bow of sugarcane. An enraged Lord Shiva opened his third eye and burnt Kama to ashes. After Rati’s (his wife) 40-day penance Shiva agreed to bring him back to life on the day of Basant Panchami. It is said he was later born as Pradumna, son of Lord Krishna.
Date and Saraswati puja time
This year Basant Panchami will be celebrated on February 5 and the Vasant Panchami Muhurat is from 07:07 AM to 12:35 PM. Vasant Panchami Madhyahna Moment will be at 12:35 PM, according to drikpanchang. Although there is no special time to perform Saraswati Puja on Vasant Panchami day one should make sure that Puja is done when Panchami Tithi is prevailing.
Significance
The colour yellow has a lot of significance on the day. People celebrate the day by wearing yellow outfits, worshipping goddess Saraswati and eating traditional dishes. The colour yellow symbolises knowledge and also denotes mustard fields that are associated with the arrival of spring season.