Vasant Panchami

Vasant Panchami heralds the advent of spring. This festival marks the first day of spring. Vasanta means the spring. The fields are mustard yellow with the ripening of crops. Yellow is a auspicious color - a color of spirituality. VasantPanchami falls on the fifth day of Magh (Jan - Feb)Shukla or the bright of lunar.Saraswati is the consort of Lord Brahma andis the Goddess of Wisdom and Knowledge. She is thepersonification of knowledge - arts, science and crafts.She represents Shakti, creativity and inspiration andpresents herself when the weather is complacent andNature is in its full grandeur. It is a season of inspiration and passion.

On this day Goddess Saraswati is worshipped as the Goddess of Learning, the deity of Gayatri, the fountain of fine arts and science, and the symbol of supreme vedantic knowledge. 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 possessing four hands and plays "Veena", an Indian string musical instrument. 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.

People pray for wisdom and understanding on this day. Rangolis—traditional designs inscribed on the floor or ground—are often drawn at the foot of the goddess’s statue, fish designs considered particularly auspicious. Family members bathe early in the morning and dress in white or yellow clothes, and children bring their school books to be blessed by Saraswati.