Vasant/Basant Panchami: Saraswathi Puja: Everything You Need To Know

“Winter is coming”, a phrase we all became familiar with because of Game of thrones. However, it’s safe to say, Winter is gone now… This means, it’s time for spring. In our beautiful subcontinent of India, the coming of spring is marked by Vasant/Basant Panchami, a festival dedicated to the goddess of knowledge, Saraswathi.

Listed below, is everything you need to know, from the significance, time & date all the way the choice of foods for this auspicious festival.

Date & Time – This year, Basant Panchami falls on the 29th of January which is a Wednesday this time round.

Significance – After a long and cold winter, nothing brings more comfort than the gentle breeze of spring. This period involves the worship of Goddess Saraswati who is the goddess of knowledge and wisdom. It is on this auspicious day of Vasant Panchami that toddlers learn to scribble their very first letters. Students across all age groups use this period to pray to the goddess in the hope that she grants them the ability to learn, register & store all the knowledge they require.

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The Delicacies/ Food – Lemon turmeric rice, Sweet Saffron Rice, Mango Rawa Halwa, Pumpkin Halwa, Kesar Rabdi etc. These are the most common dishes of choice during the big festive day.

The color of Basant Panchami – Yellow. Yellow is considered an auspicious color in ancient Hindu beliefs. It symbolizes peace, prosperity, energy, light & all-round optimism. This is why you are bound to see people dressed in yellow exchanging yellow flowers during this festival. If you take a closer look, all the dishes mentioned above have a hint of yellow in them.

Listed below are some Saraswati Puja songs for you to play on this auspicious day.

1. Namo Mata Saraswati – Sandhya Mukherjee
2. Saraswati Bidyebati – Sanat Singha
3. Aarati Korte Chokh – Sanjay Chakorborti
4. Chanting Of Sloka – Atanu Sanyal
5. Aloy Alor Smriti – Atanu Sanyal

So, enjoy this wonderful day and may you & your family be blessed with knowledge. Happy Vasant Panchami!