Basant Panchami 2023 or Saraswati Puja is one of the important festivals of the Hindu religion. It falls on the Magha month of the Hindu calendar and is celebrate by the entire nation with immense enthusiasm. Devotees on this day worship Goddess Saraswati, the Hindu deity of education. The festival is also significant in that it marks the end of the winter season and the arrival of the spring season. The agricultural sector also celebrates the day when the fields bloom with new crops and flowers.
This year, Basant Panchami will be celebrate on Thursday, January 26, 2023.
How is it celebrated?
Saraswati Puja is dedicate to Goddess Saraswati, who is consider the harbinger of knowledge, music and art. On this day, devotees perform puja, supplicate to the goddess and seek wisdom and knowledge in blessings. Some communities have a ritual of offering a newly purchase pen and notebook to the goddess so that they will be bless and anyone who uses them will achieve success in education. While in West Bengal it is customary to teach young children to write their first word on Saraswati Puja day. Some people also believe that no one should touch a book or a pen on this day as it might upset the goddess.
The Saraswati Puja celebration is also know in some schools and colleges. Cultural programs and feasts are organized to celebrate education and commemorate the goddess of education.
Basant Panchami Date 2023
Vasant Panchami or Saraswati Puja 2023 is held on January 26. Nevertheless, the puja can also be performed on 25th January.
Saraswati Puja 2023 tithi
- Saraswati Puja 2023 tithi Starts at – 12:34 PM on 25 January 2023 and tithi ends on – 26 January 2023 at 10:28 AM
- Basant Panchami Puja Time 2023 – 07:12 to 18:05
The story of Basant Panchami or Saraswati Puja
It is believed that Goddess Saraswati was born on Basant Panchami and since then the day has become a celebration of her birth and importance. According to another legend, it was on Basant Panchami that the goddess Saraswati bestowed wisdom on the classical poet Kalidasa. Moreover, the significance of Basant Panchami is drawn from the Ramayana also because on this day Rama ate half-flavour Shabari grapes.
Importance of Basant Panchami 2023
Basant Panchami 2023 is celebrate as a spring harvest festival. The yellow colour has great significance indicating the colour of mustard which is harvest during Basant Panchami. It is celebrate by worshipping the yellow flowers of ripe mustard crops. People dress up in yellow sarees or shirts or accessories and share yellow-coloured snacks and sweets. Some add saffron to their rice and then eat yellow-boiled rice as part of an elaborate feast.
To get enlightenment with knowledge, devotees especially from the education sector like students, and teachers worship Goddess Saraswati on the big day. Many educational institutions hold special prayers or pujas in the morning to seek the blessings of the goddess. In some communities, poetic and musical gatherings are held to commemorate Saraswati.
Watching from a feminist lens
The Saraswati Puja or Basant Panchami 2023 festival tells us that women are the epitome of education, art and enlightenment. But does it translate into reality? Why is it that even today, many sections of society refrain from raising or giving birth to girls? Why is there a gender gap in many colleges (especially engineering) and in the number of students who go on to higher education? We celebrate Saraswati Puja every year without any problems, but still, the country has not been able to find a solution to deal with the low female literacy rate.
We live in a society where girls are expect to focus on their excellence in cooking, cleaning and serving rather than education and hobbies. Even if some families allow their daughters to study, the freedom they can exercise is limit. He is expect to leave college by the time of his marriage. They are expect to pursue a course and career that suits their future in-laws. Despite all the knowledge and wisdom, a girl gains through her education. She is rarely considering more skill and capable than her male spouse. Moreover, Indian parents who are blind by the conventional idea of ​​career options do not understand the value of art. So they criticize their offspring who want to make a career out of their artistic excellence.
Dear society, if you worship Goddess Saraswati as a symbol of education, then why do you find it difficult to normalize women’s education and empowerment? This Saraswati Puja pledges to get rid of these double standards and promote at least higher education for every woman in India. A woman deserves an education, be it Goddess Saraswati or the one in your house.
This year, Saraswati Puja will be celebrate on Tuesday, February 16, 2021.
How do other countries celebrate the festival?
In Rajasthan, people wear jasmine garlands on Basant Panchami. In Maharashtra, newly married couples visit the temple and pray on the first Basant Panchami after the wedding. The Punjab region, Sikhs and Hindus wear a yellow turban or head covering. In Uttarakhand, people worship Shiva, and Parvati as mother earth and crops or agriculture. In the Punjab region, Basant is celebrate as a seasonal festival by all faiths and is know as the Basant Festival of Kites. Children buy dor (thread) and guddi Padwa or patang (kites) for this sport.
Frequently Asked Questions- FAQs
When is Basant Panchami celebrated?
Vasant Panchami is the 5th day of the Hindu calendar month of Megha. It is spring in India. So Basant Panchami & Saraswati Puja in India falls in the month of February. However, sometimes the festival can also fall in January.
Why do we wear yellow clothes on Vasant Panchami?
The colour yellow is a symbol of spring. So it means the end of winter. In addition, yellow mustard flowers bloom in this season. So we wear yellow clothes on Vasant Panchami.
On which day is Saraswati Puja celebrate during Navratri?
Saraswati Puja is celebrate on the 9th day of Navratri.
What should we eat in Saraswati Puja?
You can eat sweets of yellow colour. You can also eat khichdi (rice and dal cooked together), labra (vegetable curry), started bhaja (brinjal fry) and payesh (sweet rice dish),
Why does Saraswati hold the veena?
Veena in Saraswati’s hand represents knowledge. This means that the goddess spreads knowledge by playing the veena.
