Forget Valentine’s Day! According to the Hindu calendar, February 14th  is Basant Panchami day. Spring days are marked  on the earth by the footsteps of Goddess Saraswati. 

Vasant Panchami, also known as Saraswati  Puja in honour of the Hindu goddess Saraswati, is a festival marking preparations for the arrival of spring. This festival is celebrated in different ways in Indian religions  depending on the region. According to the Hindu calendar, this day is celebrated on the fifth day of Magha Maas. 

According to Hindu beliefs, Ma Saraswati, the god of learning, music and art, was born on this day. To gain wisdom and art from the Goddess, people celebrate Basant Panchami as Saraswati Puja. This day is a very auspicious day. On this day, people start new jobs, get married, or start  new things. In South India, it is celebrated as Shri Panchami, and Shri is one of the names of Goddess Lakshmi. Vasant Panchami is also the day when Goddess Parvati sent Kama Deva to disturb Lord Shiva’s penance. Therefore, this festival of Vasant Panchami is  associated with all her three goddesses of the Hindu trinity. In other words, it is a day to celebrate knowledge, prosperity, and creative energy.

So, let’s take a quick look at the popular legend of Vasant Panchami. 

There is a story  that Lord Shiva  once did deep penance. Tarakasura had received the gift that only the son of Shiva could end  his life. Emboldened by the fact that Lord Shiva became a meditative practitioner for many years and  was unlikely to remarry again after Sati (Lord Shiva’s first wife) self-immolated, he began wreaking havoc throughout the world. Meanwhile, Sati was reborn as Parvati. Parvati was performing severe penance to reach Lord Shiva. However, Lord Shiva remained unmoved. Parvati then sent Kama Deva (God of Love) to wake Shiva from  meditation. On the day of Vasant Panchami, Kama Deva approached Lord Shiva and created a phantom spring in Kailash to attract the Lord and deliver him from his penance. Shiva finally wakes up, but turns Kama Deva into ashes. Then he accepted Parvati as his wife. Lord Kartikeya, son of Shiva and Parvati, destroyed Tarakasura. 

Basant Panchami is symbolised by the colour yellow, which is the favourite colour of Goddess Saraswati. Therefore,  devotees of Saraswathi wear yellow clothes. In addition, yellow colour indicates the time to harvest mustard. To celebrate ‘Basant’, traditional food was prepared and distributed  to everyone. Yellow symbolises peace, prosperity and energy. It fills everyone with optimism. Traditional yellow dresses and food in shades of yellow  are prepared to celebrate Basant Panchami in full bloom. 

Vasant Panchami is also very important for Sufi Muslims. According to some Sufi traditions, the 13th century revered Sufi poet Amir Khusrau of Delhi  observed Hindu women carrying yellow flowers on Vasant Panchami. He then introduced this custom to the Sufis, and it is still practised today by Muslim Sufis of the Chishti sect. Vasant Panchami is also the day when some Sufi Muslims celebrate the tomb of  Sufi saint Nizamuddin Auliya in Delhi. 

Thus, the festival of Vasant Panchami is celebrated in different ways and for different reasons in different parts of India. A day to celebrate love and wisdom. 

Many educational institutions celebrate this as Saraswati Puja as it is believed to promote wisdom, talent and skills. Educational institutions such as schools and universities, celebrate this day with maximum energy. This day is said to be Ma Saraswati’s day and she is the goddess of knowledge and wisdom. 

Isn’t our cultural heritage fascinating?