All You Need to Know About Vasant Panchami

Once Basant/Vasant Panchami fell on my birthday and I were made to wear yellow and blue frock (one of my favourites) which I happily donned. Everyone looked unusually chirpy while wishing me, and that kind of made me feel even more special. Today, when I was assigned to write an informative blog on Basant Panchami, a lot of memories from that birthday revived. I also take this as an opportunity to learn about a thing or two about the religious significance of Vasant Panchami, since it did not occur to me then to learn about its importance. Festivals are truly something, they have this amazing happy energy around them that is quite contagious and Basant Panchami is no exception. This spring festival in India is more than what you assume it is, and here’s all the information I could collect for a comprehensible read so that you can impart some knowledge to others this Basant Panchami 2019. Stay with me on this, ok?

Vasant Panchami Overview

Vasant Panchami Overview2Marking the commencement of the spring season, Vasant or Basant Panchami is an important part of the Hindu festival calendar that is celebrated in different ways in different parts of the country. The festival also marks the preparation time for one of the important religious holidays in India – Holika Dahan and Holi. Kite flying is an important tradition in several North Indian states, as well as in Pakistan on the occasion Vasant Panchami. Also, wearing yellow clothes, serving food yellow in colour is also part of the tradition. On this day Goddess Saraswati is also worshipped and at several educational centres Saraswati puja is done. Therefore, this festival in Hindu culture is also known as Saraswati Jayanti in many parts of the country.

Vasant/Basant means spring and Panchami translates to the 5th day, so Vasant Panchami is celebrated on the 5th day of the bright half of the Hindu luni-solar calendar month of Magha, which typically falls in late January or February according to Gregorian Calendar. The festival date may vary according to the moon. The Basant Panchami date in 2019 is February 10.

Religious/Mythological Importance

Religious Mythological ImportanceMany of those following Hinduism dedicate Vasant Panchami to Goddess Saraswati who is considered the goddess of knowledge, language, music and all forms of art. The significance of Basant Panchami is that the festival marks the harvest time of mustard crop that has yellow blooms, which Hindus associate with Saraswati’s favourite colour.