vasanta panchami- the spring festival !

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Vasant Panchami- The Spring Festival

Anita Thakur and Nalini Rao

Anita Thakur and Nalini Rao are crusading to keep the rich Indian

cultural heritage alive through their research and writings.

 

 

Vasant Panchami is a festival of Hindus, and is celebrated all over

the world with great enthusiasm. This year it was celebrated on 10th

of February. Magh Sud 5 (5th day of the bright fortnight of the lunar

month of Magh) is the day of Vasant Panchami. Hinduism, more a way of

life rather than a religion, demure to the special significance of

seasons in our lives through religious festivals. Vasant Panchami is

referred to as the spring festival, and signifies the beginning of

Vasant Ritu (spring season).

 

Vasant Panchami is dedicated to Saraswati, the goddess of learning

and the wife of Brahma. Two other Indian festivals are similarly

dedicated to goddesses. Deepawali to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth

and Navaratri to Durga, the goddess of strength, might and power.

Religious paintings depict each of these goddess alighted on a

vehicle that symbolizes their special power. The white swan of

Saraswati symbolizing Satwa Guna (purity and discrimination), the

lotus of Lakshmi the Rajas Guna and the tiger of Durga the Tamas

Guna. Saraswati is shown to be possessing four hands and

plays "Veena", a string musical instruments. Vasant Panchami is also

known as Saraswati Day and commemorates the birth of goddess

Saraswati. Hindu temples throng with people and are abuzz with

prayers and rituals.

 

Satwa Guna encompasses Learning, Wisdom and the Fine Arts. Goddess

Saraswati is worshipped for spiritual enlightenment, the greatest

wealth to man. The goddess is a favorite of religious and spiritual

leaders. Hindu folklore puts the Learned on a higher pedestal than

even the king. A King is honoured within his Kingdom only, whereas

the Learned is respected, even worshipped everywhere. For example,

Gautam Buddha and Guru Nanak, are better known today than the kings

of their times.

 

Vasant is the season when nature is at its beautiful and bountiful

best. Flowers are in full bloom and trees sprout new shoots. It is a

season when nature regenerates and every thing is fresh and new. New

life is evident in the woods and fields. In North India the cool

morning air is laden with the faint smell of Mango blossoms. Shrill

loud calls of the Koyal (Indian singing bird) pierce the tranquillity

of the morning without in anyway disturbing it! Wheat and other crops

enliven with new life and vitality. Mustard fields turn into a heady

mix of yellow and green as the blossoms add color, poetry and romance

to life.

 

Indeed, yellow colour is given special importance on this day. The

goddess Saraswati is dressed in yellow garments and worshipped by men

and women attired in yellow. It is not unusual to see people dyeing

their clothes (Shirts, duppattas and turbans) yellow a day prior to

Vasant Panchami.

 

It is traditional to wear cottons on Vasant Panchami. The lady of the

house sets the trend for the festive mood by wearing yellow saree

with zari and gotta. The choice of colors for bangles usually rests

on green or yellow. I have vivid and beautiful memories of my college

in Chandigarh, where on Vasant Panchami day one could see a lot of

yellow duppattas in the college grounds and the corridors. The boys

would teasingly call a girl attired in yellow - Basanti!

 

In some traditional homes sweetmeats of yellowish hues are exchanged

with relations and friends. Kesari halwa and Kesari sweet rice are

the favorites in North India. A dash of saffron is added to the

sweetmeats to get a yellow tinge. Many people go to temple to offer

halwa or sweet rice to the Gods. Some people feed Brahmanas on this

day. Pitri-Tarpan (ancestor worship) is performed on this day and

some worship Kamdev, the god of love!

 

The Goddess of Learning

 

It is customary to begin a child's education on this day in deference

to goddess Saraswati. Before starting. The children are expected to

recite the following prayer

 

Sanskrit: Saraswhathi Namastuhyam Varade Kamarupini Bidyarambam

Karishy ami Sidhirthayatu Mesada

 

Translation : Oh Saraswhati, sitting on the beautiful Lotus flower, I

am beginning my education, so always bless me.

 

Schools, colleges and other places of learning organise special

worship of Saraswati. Many schools and colleges also organize

cultural activities. Chandigarh and Punjab colleges, for example,

typically celebrate the day with Bhangra competitions. Pandit Madan

Mohan Malviya laid the foundations of Kashi Hindu Vishwa Vidyalaya on

Vasant Panchami. This has now become a world academic institution.

 

Vasant Panchami in the States

 

Dr Ishwar Modi of Jaipur University says the origin of Vasantotsava

may be traced as far back as ancient times. As nature adorned itself

with golden harvest, the yellow flowers of Mustard plant and Amaltas

tree, the people of Jaipur also wore yellow dresses. The men wore

yellow turbans and the women wore yellow chunries or duppattas and

the boys and children wore yellow shirts. In Jaipur the festival is

celebrated in the temple of Sitaramji at Choti Chaupar and continues

for three days. It starts with the worship of vasant (spring)

followed by programs of vocal and instrumental music.

 

saraswati pujo in benal in vasanta ritu!

 

The Goddess of Knowledge, Saraswati, is especially worshipped in

Bengal and Bihar. In West Bengal with the onset of spring cities gear

themselves for celebration of the Vasant Panchami. The festival is

celebrated with great fervour in the university town of Santiniketan.

 

Bengali and Orriya communities get together and erect special

Saraswati Puja sthans for Vasant Panchami. They hold puja and

community lunch there. Books, musical instruments, and other objects

related to the arts and scholarship were placed in front of the

goddess to receive her blessings. A friend of mine, who hailed form

Bengal, would not allow her son to use his pen on that day, insisting

that it lie in front of the Goddess for her blessings.

 

In Punjab the festival is called Basant (not Vasant) Panchami. Kite

flying is popular on this day. The days leading to the festival

represent busy times for Kite makers for the usually clear blue skies

tend to be filled with kites of all colors.

 

Vasant is associated with freshness and a new beginning in all

spheres of life. An old Hindi film song says, Aayee jhoom ke Basant,

jhoomo sang sang mein" (The merry spring is here and let us sway

together) The end of harsh winter makes a new spring all the more

welcomed. There is a song on every lip with a new confidence in every

heart to chart a new course. This is a time when everyone gets

together to romance with life.

 

source- south asian women's forum (http://www.sawf.org). Look under

"Archives"-->"Culture"--> "Vasant Panchami- The Spring Festival"

 

in tamil nadu, we celebrate 'saraswati' puja during navaratri.

in bengal, they celebrate it during vasanta ritu!