Vasant Panchami, also called Sarasvati Puja in honor of Goddess Saraswati, is a festival that marks the preparation for the arrival of spring. The festival is celebrated by the people of the Indian subcontinent in different ways depending on the region. Vasant Panchami also marks the start of preparation for Holika and Holi, which take place forty days later. The Vasant Utsava (festival) on Panchami is celebrated forty days before spring, as the transition period of any season is 40 days, and after that the season comes into full bloom.
Vasant Panchami, the arrival of spring
Vasant Panchami est un festival qui marque le début des préparatifs de la saison printanière. Il est célébré par les gens de différentes manières selon les régions. Vasant Panchami marque également le début de la préparation de Holika et Holi, qui se produisent quarante jours plus tard. Pour de nombreux hindous, Vasant Panchami est le festival dédié à la déesse Saraswati qui est leur déesse de la connaissance, de la langue, de la musique et de tous les arts.
Elle symbolise l’énergie créatrice et le pouvoir sous toutes ses formes, y compris le désir et l’amour. La saison et le festival célèbrent également la maturation des champs agricoles avec des fleurs jaunes de moutarde, que les hindous associent à la couleur préférée de Saraswati. Les gens s’habillent de saris ou de chemises ou d’accessoires jaunes, partagent des collations et des bonbons de couleur jaune. Certains ajoutent du safran à leur riz, puis mangent du riz jaune cuit dans le cadre d’un festin élaboré.
Many families mark this day by sitting with babies and toddlers, encouraging their children to write their first words with their fingers, and some study or create music together. On the eve of Vasant Panchami, Saraswati's temples are filled with food so that she can join the celebrants at the traditional feast the next morning.
In temples and educational institutions, statues of Saraswati are dressed in yellow and worshiped. Many educational institutions hold special prayers or pujas in the morning to seek blessings from the goddess. Poetic and musical gatherings are organized in certain communities in homage to Saraswati.
In Nepal, Bihar and eastern states of India such as West Bengal, including northeastern states like Tripura and Assam, people visit her temples and worship her (Saraswati Puja). Most schools organize a special Saraswati puja for their students on their premises. In Bangladesh, all major educational institutes and universities observe it with holidays and special puja.
In the state of Odisha, the festival is celebrated as Basanta Panchami/Sri Panchami/Saraswati Puja. Homas and Yagnas are practiced in schools and colleges across the state. Students celebrate Saraswati puja with great sincerity and fervour. Usually, children aged four and five start learning on this day in a unique ceremony called 'Khadi-Chuan' or 'Vidya-Arambha'.
Vasant Panchami, à certains endroits, célèbre le dieu hindou de l’amour Kama (à gauche) avec Rati, illustré ci-dessus au temple de Khajuraho.
Another one legend derrière Vasant Panchami est basée sur le dieu hindou de l’amour appelé Kama. Pradyumna est Kamadev personnifié dans le Book of Krishna. So Vasant Panchami is also known as “Madana Panchami”. Pradyumna is the son of Rukmini and Krishna. He awakens the passions of the earth (and its inhabitants) and thus the world flourishes again.
It is remembered that this was the day when the seers (Rishis) approached Kama to wake Shiva from his yogic meditation. They support Parvati who is doing penance to have Shiva as her husband and seek Kama's help in bringing Shiva back from her meditation to worldly desires. Kama agrees and shoots arrows, made of flowers and bees, at Shiva from his celestial bow of sugarcane in order to entice him to pay attention to Parvati. Lord Shiva wakes up from his meditation. When his third eye opens, a ball of fire is aimed at Kama. Kama the Lord of desires is reduced to ashes.
Vasant Panchami is associated with the emotions of love and emotional anticipation in Kutch (Gujarat), and celebrated by preparing a bouquet and garlands of flowers studded with mango leaves, as gifts. People dress in saffron, pink or yellow and visit each other. Songs about Krishna's pranks with Radha, considered to be the mirror of Kama-Rati, are sung. This is symbolized by the Hindu deity Kamadeva with his wife Rati.
Traditionally, in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh, after bathing in the morning, people worship Shiva and Parvati. Offerings of mango flowers and ears of wheat are traditionally made.
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Today, the Indian subcontinent celebrates Vasant Panchami. Customs and rites change depending on the region. The most common story is linked to Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge, music and the arts, and marks the renewal of spring. The yellow color is given to refer to the first flowerings. #mythology #myth #legend #calendar #vasantpanchami #saraswati
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