Basanth Panchami 2015 - The Indian Spring Festival of Saraswati Puja

Basant Panchami is a spring festival of India. This Indian Festival falls on the 5th day of the spring, on the bright fortnight of the lunar month of Magh (January or February in Gregorian calendar). This Hindu Festival is also known by names Vasanta Panchami, Sree Panchami and Saraswati Puja. The color yellow has special significance on this day. In North India especially, the yellow flowers of mustard crop in the fields makes a beautiful scene. On this day the people normally wear yellow colored clothes which symbolize spring and prosperity. They also offer yellow flowers in worship and put turmeric colored tilak on their forehead. Sweet yellow rice and yellow colored sweets like Kesar Halwa are also made on this day as offering to Gods and for consumption.

On Vasant Panchami day, Hindus worship Goddess Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge and consort of Lord Brahma. She is worshiped in places of learning like schools and colleges on this day apart from temples and houses. Special Puja and rituals for the Goddess are performed on the day. Pens, notebooks and other education related items are placed in front of the Goddess to be blessed before they are used by students. It is an auspicious day for teaching children to write their first words and start their learning. Vasant Panchami day is also considered very auspicious works like marriage, construction of house, beginning of a factory, inauguration of an educational institute etc. Apart from Goddess Saraswati, Lord Vishnu and Kamadeva (the God of love) are also worshiped on this day. In some families, Brahmins are fed and ancestors are worshiped on this day too.

Kite Flying is a popular sport on this day. The sky can be seen dotted by kites of different sizes, colors and shapes on this day. People also make merry by visiting others, singing and dancing.

While Saraswati Puja is celebrated in the Eastern States of India (Orissa, West Bengal, Bihar and Assam) on Vasant Panchami, it is celebrated during the last 2-3 days of Navaratri in the Southern States of India.

The Initiation of Writing (known as Vidyarambham which literally means Commencement of Knowledge) is normally done on the auspicious Vijaya Dashami Day in states like Kerala and Tamilnadu. The child is made to write for the first time on the rice spread in a plate with the index finger guided by an elder of the family or a teacher.

Given below are the dates on which the Basant Panchami Festival falls in the years 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016.