Have a great festival of Basant Panchami this year. (Source: Getty Images; designed by Gargi Singh) Basant Panchami (Saraswati Puja) 2021 Date in India: Indians are known to celebrate festivals in tune with the ongoing season. One of the foremost festivals of the spring season is Basant Panchami, also known and celebrated as Saraswati Puja in many parts of the country. People rejoice as they welcome the spring season or the Vasant Ritu which is considered the king of all seasons as it is a balance between scorching heat, harsh winters, and heavy rains.
Popular belief says that Goddess Saraswati, the Goddess of Knowledge, Art, Music, Science and Technology, was born on Basant Panchami and thus people worship her on this day.
While many households perform the Saraswati Puja at home; the rituals are also performed at many educational institutions, libraries, offices etc. Worshippers offer pushpanjali (floral offering) to the Goddess and receive khichdi bhog and jaggery rice as prasad. People also
adorn the threshold of their houses with beautiful alpona which is a sacred hand-painted art made with a paste of rice and flour. After the puja is complete, children bring their books and instruments to the Goddess and offer their prayers for her to enlighten them with knowledge and wisdom. People dress up in yellow as the colour is considered to be auspicious; it also marks the harvest of the mustard crop which has yellow blooms.
According to the Hindu calendar, Basant Panchami is celebrated on the fifth day of the month of Maagh and thus, the name ‘Panchami’. This year the festival falls on Tuesday, February 16. This day is also considered great for new beginnings and so, many people begin work on this day.
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