Basant Panchami 2023: Date, Timings, History, Significance; Know all about the festival

The Hindu festival of Basant Panchami, also known as Vasant Panchami and Saraswati Puja is celebrated on the first day of spring and falls on the fifth day of the month of Magha. Maa Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of learning, music, and the arts is honoured throughout the festival. Families mark this day by sitting with their babies and young children, encouraging their children to write their first words with their hands. The festival also marks the start of preparation for Holika and Holi, which takes place forty days later.

Basant Panchami Date and Pooja timings

The year Basant Panchami will be commemorated on January 26. According to drikpanchang.com, the Panchami Tithi will begin at 12:34 PM on January 25, 2023, and terminate at 10:28 AM on January 26, 2023. The festival's muhurat spans from 7:12 am to 12:34 pm.

Significance

Basant Panchami is celebrated as a spring harvest festival. The colour yellow holds great significance denoting the colour of the mustard that is harvested during Basant Panchami. It is celebrated in the veneration of the yellow flowers of ripened mustard crops. People dress in yellow saris or shirts or accessories and share yellow-coloured snacks and sweets. Some add saffron to their rice and then eat yellow-cooked rice as a 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 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.

History

According to Lochan Singh Buxi, Basant Panchami is a Hindu festival adopted by some Indian Muslim Sufis in the 12th century. The festival was adopted to mark the grave of the Muslim Sufi saint dargah of Nizamuddin Aulia in Delhi and ever since, has been observed by the Chishti order.

Saraswati Puja Story

According to various mythological stories, Lord Brahma got responsible for the creation of the universe and Lord Vishnu was the sustainer. Lord Brahma created the universe, but one day he was walking on the earth, he saw all the living beings and was pleased with his creation. However, after some time he realized that there was peace and silence everywhere on the earth. Then he got the idea of ​​the goddess of speech, knowledge, and arts. He took out water from his 'kamandal' and sprinkled it on the earth.

Mother Saraswati appeared sitting on the lotus seat. She had four arms, she was giving blessings while holding a book, a veena, and a garland in her hands. Brahma named her 'Devi Saraswati'. Brahma told that he has appeared in this universe to give speech and knowledge to living beings. Then Mother Saraswati produced a melodious sound from the strings of her veena, and all the creatures started speaking in their own voice. By the grace of Mother Saraswati, different types of melodious sounds were heard in the universe. Goddess Saraswati appeared on the fifth day of Shukla Paksha of Magha month, due to which Saraswati Puja is performed every year.

How other states celebrate the festival

Basant Panchami is celebrated throughout the nation, with slightly diverse customs, and wonderful traditional foods. 

In Rajasthan, people wear jasmine garlands on Basant Panchami. In Maharashtra, newly married couples visit a temple and offer prayers on the first Basant Panchami after the wedding. It is celebrated as Saraswati Puja in the east of the country, such as West Bengal. In the Punjab region, Sikhs and Hindus wear yellow turban or headdress. In Uttarakhand, people worship Shiva, and Parvati as the mother earth and the crops or agriculture. In Borth India, Basant is celebrated as a seasonal festival by all faiths and is known as the Basant Festival of Kites. Children buy dor (thread) and guddi or patang (kites) for the sport.