Vasant Panchami
Vasant Panchami | |
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Official name | Vasant Panchami[1] |
Also called | Saraswati Puja |
Observed by | Hindus, Sikhs and Jains in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Java and Bali (Indonesia and many other countries)[2] |
Type | Cultural |
Significance | Spring, harvest, Goddess Saraswati[2] |
Celebrations | Worship of Goddess Saraswati[2][3] |
Date | Magha Shukla Panchami |
2023 date | 26 January (Thursday) |
2024 date | 14 February (Wednesday) |
Hindu festival dates The Hindu calendar is lunisolar but most festival dates are specified using the lunar portion of the calendar. A lunar day is uniquely identified by three calendar elements: māsa (lunar month), pakṣa (lunar fortnight) and tithi (lunar day). Furthermore, when specifying the masa, one of two traditions are applicable, viz. amānta / pūrṇimānta. If a festival falls in the waning phase of the moon, these two traditions identify the same lunar day as falling in two different (but successive) masa. A lunar year is shorter than a solar year by about eleven days. As a result, most Hindu festivals occur on different days in successive years on the Gregorian calendar. | |
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Vasant Panchami (
Nomenclature and date
Vasant Panchami is celebrated every year on the fifth day of the bright half of the Hindu lunisolar calendar month of Magha, which typically falls in late January or February. Spring is known as the "King of all Seasons", so the festival commences forty days in advance. It is generally winter-like in northern India, and more spring-like in central and western parts of India on Vasant Panchami, which gives credence to the idea that spring is actually in full bloom 40 days after the Vasant Panchami day.[7]
The festival is particularly observed by Hindus in the Indian subcontinent, notably India and Nepal. [8][6] In southern states, the same day is called Sri Panchami.[7]
On the island of
Hinduism
Saraswati Puja
Vasant Panchami is a festival of Hindus that marks the beginning of preparations for the spring season. It is celebrated by people in various ways depending on the region. Vasant Panchami also marks the start of preparation for Holika and Holi, which occur forty days later. For many, Vasant Panchami is the festival dedicated to goddess Saraswati who is their goddess of knowledge, language, music, and all arts.[8] She symbolizes creative energy and power in all its forms, including longing and love. The season and festival also celebrate the agricultural fields' ripening with yellow flowers of mustard crop, which Hindus associate with Saraswati's favorite color. People dress in yellow saris or shirts or accessories, share yellow-colored snacks and sweets. Some add saffron to their rice and then eat yellow cooked rice as a part of an elaborate feast.[8]
Many families mark this day by sitting with babies and young children, encouraging their children to write their first words with their fingers, and some study or create music together.[8][7][10] The day before Vasant Panchami, Saraswati's temples are filled with food so that she can join the celebrants in the traditional feasting the following morning.[10] In temples and educational institutions, statues of Saraswati are dressed in yellow and worshiped.[10] Many educational institutions arrange special prayers or pujas in the morning to seek the blessing of the goddess. Poetic and musical gatherings are held in some communities in reverence for Saraswati.[11]
In Eastern India, primarily in the states of West Bengal, Assam, Tripura and Bihar, as well as in Nepal, people visit Saraswati temples and also worship Goddess Saraswati at home (Saraswati Puja). In West Bengal, it's one of the major festivals for Bengali Hindus and observed by many households; most schools arrange Saraswati puja for their students on their premises. In Bangladesh too, all major educational institutes and universities observe it with a holiday and a special puja.
In the state of Odisha, the festival is celebrated as Basanta Panchami/Sri Panchami /Saraswati Puja. Homas and Yagnas are done in schools and colleges across the state. Students celebrate Saraswati puja with great sincerity and fervor. Usually, children four and five years old start learning on this day in a unique ceremony named 'Khadi-Chuan' or 'Vidya-Arambha'.[12] - this is known as "Haate-Khori" among Bengali Hindus.
In southern states such as Andhra Pradesh, the same day is called Sri Panchami where "Sri" refers to her as another aspect of the one goddess Devi.[11][13][7]
Other deities
Another legend behind Vasant Panchami is based on the Hindu god of love called Kama.[14] Pradyumna is Kamadev personified in Krishna's Book. Thus Vasant Panchami is also known as "Madana Panchami". Pradyumna is the son of Rukmini and Krishna. He awakens the passions of the earth (and its people) and thus the world blooms anew.
It is remembered as the day when the Seers (Rishis) approached Kama to wake up Shiva from his Yogic meditation. They support Parvati who is doing a penance to get Shiva as husband and seek Kama's help to bring Shiva back from his meditation to worldly desires. Kama agrees and shoots arrows, made of flowers and bees, at Shiva from his heavenly bow of sugarcane in order to arouse him to pay attention to Parvati. Lord Shiva awakens from his meditation. When his third eye opens, a fireball is directed to Kama. Kama the Lord of desires is burnt to ashes. This initiative is celebrated by Hindus as Vasant Panchami.[8]
Vasant Panchami is associated with the emotions of love and emotional anticipation in Kutch (Gujarat) and is celebrated by preparing bouquets and garlands of flowers set with mango leaves, as a gift. People dress in saffron, pink, or yellow and visit each other. Songs about Krishna's pranks with Radha, considered to mirror Kama-Rati, are sung.[15] This is symbolized with the Hindu deity Kama with his wife Rati.[11][10]
Traditionally, in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh, after bathing in the morning, people worship Shiva and Parvati. Offerings of mango flowers and the ears of wheat are traditionally made.[16]
Deo temple: Sun God
The shrine of the Sun God in
Other
People celebrate the day by wearing yellow (white), eating sweet dishes and displaying yellow flowers in homes. In Rajasthan, it is customary for people to wear jasmine garlands.[19] In Maharashtra, newly married couples visit a temple and offer prayers on the first Basant Panchami after the wedding. wearing yellow dresses. In the Punjab region, Hindus wear yellow turban or headdress. In Uttarakhand, in addition to Saraswati Puja, people worship Shiva, Parvati as the mother earth and the crops or agriculture. People eat yellow rice and wear yellow. It is also a significant school supplies shopping and related gift-giving season.[7]
In the
On Bali and among Indonesian Hindus, Hari Raya Saraswati (the festival's local name) is celebrated with prayers in family compounds, educational institutions, and public venues from morning to noon. Teachers and students wear brightly coloured clothes instead of their usual uniforms, and children bring traditional cakes and fruit to school for offerings in a temple.[21]
Sikhism
Namdhari Sikhs have historically celebrated Basant Panchami to mark the beginning of spring.[22] Other Sikhs treat it as a spring festival, and joyfully celebrate it by wearing yellow colored clothes, emulating the bright yellow mustard flowers in the fields.[3]
In the
Nihangs go to Patiala on Basant Panchami and dress in pink and yellow on the month of Vaisakh (not only Basant Panchami day).[32]
Pakistan
Kite flying in Lahore goes back centuries. After creation of Pakistan it evolved into a highly competitive sport which is not limited to "basant" only. There are regional teams, competitions, and trophies. Kite And string making is an industry all over central Punjab providing livelihood to thousands.
Given the shared history and culture in the Indian subcontinent, the Punjabi Muslims in and around Lahore also celebrate kite flying as a sport in Pakistan from home rooftops during the Basant season.[18] In 2003 the Supreme Court of Pakistan attempted to ban the manufacture trade, and flying of kites in Lahore. In 2005 Lahore announced that Vasant Panchami could be celebrated in a forest outside of Lahore. In 2017 the ban on Vasant Panchami was briefly lifted and reimposed.[33]
Sufi Muslim Basant
According to Lochan Singh Buxi, Basant Panchmi is a Hindu festival adopted by some Indian Muslim
Controversy
Vasant Panchami has been a historic occasion of dispute at the archaeological site of
See also
- Vasanta (Ritu)
References
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- ^ Camille Mirepoix (1967). Now Pakistan. Grenich. p. 142.
- ^ Hasan, Masudul (1971). Unique Women of the World: Being Unique Stories of the Sidelights of the Lives, Loves, and Mysteries of Famous Women of All Times, All the World Over. Unique Publications. p. 96.
- ^ Gulcharan Singh (1993), page 20, The Sikh Courier International, Volumes 33-37
- ^ "The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Bathinda Edition". Tribuneindia.com. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
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- ^ Indore celebrates Basant Panchmi, The Times of India, February 2, 2017
- ^ "Bhojshala-Kamal Maula mosque row: What is the dispute over the temple-cum-mosque all about?", India Today, Shreya Biswas (February 12, 2016)
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- "Kite Festival" by Sanjeev Narula.
- Saraswati Puja: Quotes, Wishes, Mantras, Images, Songs