Saraswati Puja / Basant Panchami: Mythological Significance & Celebration

What is the importance of Basant Panchami? 

Basant Panchami, the birthday of Goddess Saraswati, the goddess of learning, also marks the advent of spring. This festival is celebrated with great pomp in India as well as in northwest Bangladesh and Nepal, celebrating this festival in full law wherever Indians are settled around the world. This festival is also an opportunity to worship Mother Sharda and earn her immense compassion. It is also believed that Sikh Guru Govind Singh was born on the day of Basant Panchami. It is said that one should wear yellow clothes on this day. The importance of this festival has been described in detail in Puranas and many religious texts. Especially in the Goddess Bhagwat, it is mentioned that the Panchami of Magh Shukla Paksha had received music, poetry, art, craft, rasa, verses, word power, and the eloquence.

 

Worship method:

 

On this day, educationists and students across the country worship Maa Sharda i.e. Goddess Saraswati and pray to make themselves more knowledgeable. Goddess Saraswati is worshipped in schools on Vasant Panchami. In the eastern provinces of India, on this day, idols of Goddess Saraswati are installed and worshiped in homes or publically in pandals. The next day the idol is immersed in the river. There is also a ritual to wear yellow clothes on Basant Panchami, worship Goddess Saraswati with turmeric (haldi) and apply tilak of turmeric (haldi) on our forehead.

 

What is the significance of yellow colour on Vasant Panchami?

 

‘Yellow’ colour signifies that the crops are about to ripen, yellow colour is also said to be an indicator of prosperity. Flowers bloom during the spring season that begins with this festival, golden mustard shines in the fields, barley and wheat flowers bloom and colourful butterflies start fluttering here and there. This festival is also known as ‘Rishi Panchami’.

 

Mythological significance of the festival:

 

According to the Hindu calendar, Lord Brahma, the creator of the universe, created Goddess Saraswati on the day of this festival celebrated on the fifth day of Shukla Paksha of the month of Magha every year. Regarding which it is mentioned in the Puranas that in the early period of creation, by the order of Lord Vishnu, Lord Brahma created the humans, but in its initial state, man was silent and the earth was completely calm. When Brahmaji saw the earth silent and dull, he sprinkled water with his kamandala, which manifested in the form of a wonderful power, a quadrilateral beautiful woman who had ‘Veena’ in one hand and ‘Vara’ in the other hand. This power was called Goddess Saraswati. As soon as they pierced the veena, the three worlds vibrated and everyone got the word and voice.

 

The day of 'Basant Panchami' is considered to be a sign of the arrival of spring and the spring season is considered to be the best, hence spring is also known as the 'King of seasons'. For all auspicious works, this day is considered extremely auspicious. It is believed that on this day there is a farewell of autumn and with the arrival of spring, there is a communication of new life and new consciousness in all beings.

 

The bitter cold ends and brings cool breeze. At this time Panchatattva, i.e., water, air, earth, sky and fire, leaving their wrath and appearing in a very seductive form, appear in a pleasant form. In fact, at this time, nature becomes completely frenzied. There is a communication of drunkenness in the environment and the beauty of nature starts spreading.

 

In ancient times, Basant Panchami also finds mention of celebrating 'Basantotsav', 'Madanotsava', 'Kamotsav' or 'Kamdev Parva' as a symbol of love. In those days, women used to worship their husbands as Cupids on this day. In this connection, it is believed that on this day, Kamadeva and Rati first communicated the feeling of love in the human hearts and gave them consciousness so that they could understand the feelings of beauty and love deeply.

 

Rati Puja also has special significance on this day. It is believed that Kamdev had committed the offense of disturbing the ‘dhyanmudra’ of Lord Shiva and dissolving the penance of Lord Shiva by instilling a flower arrow of love in the spring, due to which he had consumed Kamdev with the flame of his third eye. Later, moved by the prayers and lamentation of Kamadeva's wife, Rati, Lord Shiva blessed Rati that she would reclaim her husband as Pradyumna, son of Lord Shri Krishna.

 

Various festival colours:

 

On the day of Basant Panchami, devotees worship Maa Saraswati after taking a dip in the holy Ganges and other holy rivers. There is a large crowd of devotees in Haridwar in Uttarakhand and Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh. On this day, lakhs of devotees come to worship on the banks of Ganga and Yamuna Sangam. Apart from this, devotees from Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand and other states congregate at Tatapani in Himachal Pradesh and bathe in the hot springs of sulfur there.

 

On this day, yellow dishes are made in many parts of North India and people wear yellow clothes. In Punjab, the villagers can be seen in yellow mustard fields and yellow kites flying. Saraswati Mata is worshipped in Dhaka in West Bengal, while a grand fair is organized at Guru-ka-Lahore, the famous Sikh religious site in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh. It is believed that Sikh Guru Govind Singh was born on the day of Basant Panchami.

 

If you start a new work on Vasant Panchami, success is guaranteed:

 

It is also considered auspicious to start any new work on Vasant Panchami. People who are not getting any ‘shubh muhurta’ for home entry (grah pravesh) can enter this day or if someone is looking for auspicious time to start their new business, then they can start their new business on Vasant Panchami. Can. Similarly, for any other work for which no one is getting any suitable muhurta, he can do it on the day of Vasant Panchami.

 

Basant Panchami is also important for some other reasons. For lovers of literature and music, Basant Panchami holds special importance as it is considered a sacred festival of worship of Goddess Saraswati, the Goddess of Knowledge and Speech. Teaching toddlers or children how to speak or write from this day is considered quite auspicious.

 

Panchami of Shukla Paksha of Magh month has been celebrated with pomp throughout the country as 'Basant Panchami' as it is believed that this day marks the arrival of spring and the arrival of spring. It is believed that on this day there is farewell of autumn and the advent of spring, there is a communication of new life and new consciousness in all beings. There is a communication of drunkenness in the environment and the beauty of nature starts flourishing. In the autumn, the old leaves of the trees dry up and fall, but with the beginning of spring, new plants start to grow on the trees. Blossoms come in mangoes. Colourful flowers bloom all around and the fragrance of the flowers fills the earth's atmosphere with sweet smell all around. Fields filled with golden ears of wheat, golden mustard-like yellow mustard flowers, cuckoo whistling on tree branches, bees humming on flowers, and the colourful butterflies flying. The greenery of the trees communicates such drunkenness in the environment that even a sad heart becomes cheerful. The festival of Holi also starts on the day of Basant Panchami and ‘Gulal’ (the holi colours) is offered on this day for the first time.

 

Basant Panchami holds some other significance too. For lovers of literature and music, Basant Panchami is of special importance as it is considered a sacred festival of worship of Goddess Saraswati of knowledge and speech. Teaching children to speak or write from this day is considered auspicious. Musicians worship their instruments on this day. It is believed that on this day Goddess Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge and wisdom, was incarnated in her hands with a Veena, Holy Scriptures and Beads.

 

This is the reason why in Indian culture people worship Goddess Saraswati, the presiding deity of wisdom, wisdom and speech, wishing to remove the darkness of ignorance from their lives on this day. It is said that Lord Krishna worshiped Goddess Saraswati for the first time on the day of Basant Panchami and said that from now on every year on the day of Basant Panchami, Goddess Saraswati will be worshiped and this day will be celebrated as the worship festival of Mother Saraswati.

 

Basant Panchami is also considered the incarnation day of holy river Ganga. It is believed that on this day Ganga Maiya Prajapati descended from the ‘kamandal’ (tumbler) of Lord Brahma to provide salvation to the ancestors of Bhagiratha and to make the whole earth a crematorium. Therefore, from the religious point of view, taking a holy dip (bathing) in Ganga on Basant Panchami is considered auspicious.

 

Basant Panchami has also been called ‘Sri Panchami’. It is said that our health on Basant Panchami day affects our health throughout the year. Therefore, this festival has also been considered as health-enhancing and relieves you from sins.