Basant Panchami Holiday in India – 26th Jan 2023

Basant Panchmi is a festival which marks the arrival of the spring season. The festival is also referred to as Vasant Panchmi or Saraswati Puja. On this day, people honour the Hindu Goddess, Saraswati and prepare for the arrival of Holi. Basant Panchmi In India is celebrated with great enthusiasm in different ways across different regions. According to the Hindu lunisolar calendar, Basant Panchami Holiday falls on the fifth of the month of Magha and celebrates the arrival of spring. Hence the name Vasant Panchmi. 

Here’s everything you need to know about this auspicious Hindu festival. Read on!  

Basant Panchami Date 2023

Since it’s celebrated on the fifth of the Magha month, the date keeps changing. In 2023, the Basant Panchami Holiday will be celebrated on the 26th of January (Thursday). 

Basant Panchami Background

Basant Panchmi falls on the fifth of Magha (a month according to the Hindu lunisolar calendar) and is celebrated in honour of the Hindu Goddess Saraswati to celebrate the coming of spring. Saraswati is the Hindu Goddess of knowledge, music, language and other arts. Basant Panchmi commemorates the day Goddess Saraswati blessed the great Sanskrit poet Kalidasa with wisdom and knowledge. On this day, people pray to Goddess Saraswati to bless them with wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge. 

Generally, the festival falls in January or early February. The festival is notably celebrated 40 days before the arrival of spring by Hindus across the Indian subcontinent region, particularly in India and Nepal. 

Hindus also celebrate the ripening of the yellow flowers of the mustard. They associate the yellow colour of these agricultural fields with the favourite colour of the Goddess Saraswati. People celebrate the festival by wearing yellow clothes and sharing sweets. 

Sikhs have also been known to celebrate the festival. In southern states of India, Basant Panchmi is referred to as Sri Panchami. The festival is referred to as Hari Raya Saraswati on the Indonesian islands of Bali. Here, the festival marks the start of the Balinese Pawukon calendar, which lasts for 210 days. 

Namdhari Sikhs are known to celebrate Basant Panchmi to celebrate the beginning of spring. They also celebrate by wearing yellow clothes.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh encouraged people to celebrate Basant Panchmi in Gurudwaras. He also held an annual fair to celebrate the festival. Additionally, he promoted kite flying as a prominent feature of the fairs and the festival. 

How is Basant Panchami Celebrated?

Celebrated with great love and joy, Basant Panchmi is one of the most prominent Hindu festivals that gets people together. How Bassant Panchmi is celebrated depends on the region you are celebrating the festival in. Listed below are some of the most popular ways in which the Basant Panchmi festival is celebrated across India.

1. Punjab and Haryana

Here, the Basant Panchmi festival is celebrated with people dressed in yellow. Women also prepare different types of sweet delicacies. People also eat yellow rice to celebrate. Fairs are also organised in several cities to mark the celebrations of Basant Panchmi.

2. Rajasthan

People wear garlands on this day as a custom. 

3. Maharashtra

Married couples are known to visit a temple dedicated to the goddess Saraswati and pray for love and happiness. It is customary practice for the first Basant Panchmi after the marriage.  

4. Orissa

People in Orissa celebrate Basant Panchmi with joy and great enthusiasm. On Basant Panchmi, it is customary practice for people to visit the Saraswati temple, perform puja, and offer yellow flowers to the goddess. 

5. Uttarakhand

Here, people perform Saraswati Puja during the festival. In addition to Saraswati Puja, people also worship Shiva and Parvati. Eating yellow rice, wearing yellow clothes, and flying kites are also part of the celebrations in Uttarakhand. The festival is largely popular among children since they can participate in flying kites. Moreover, havans and yagnas (fire-related rituals) are organised in schools and colleges across the state. For some children, Basant Panchmi marks the day when they first start learning. Their learning journey begins with a special ceremony. It is known as Vidya-Arambha or Khadi-Chuan. Among Bengali Hindus, the ceremony is referred to as Haate-Khori.

6. Andhra Pradesh

In Andhra Pradesh and other southern states in India celebrate the festival as Sri Panchami. 

7. West Bengal

Goddess of knowledge and wisdom, Saraswati. The festival is observed with great enthusiasm, particularly by the children, who take the lead in arranging and performing the puja rituals. On the day of the festival, educational institutions also participate in the celebrations by conducting their own puja ceremonies. The women celebrate the festival by wearing yellow saris. Men, on the other hand, wear yellow dhotis, kurtas, and pajamas as a symbol of respect and devotion to the goddess. In addition to the puja rituals, people also prepare a variety of sweets, such as Payesh and Rajbhog, to offer to the goddess and to share with their families and friends. 

8. Assam

In Assam, Basant Panchami is celebrated with great enthusiasm and devotion. The day begins with traditional rituals and ceremonies that are performed in the early morning hours. On this day, people wake up early and start their day by cleaning their homes, particularly the area where they have placed the idols of gods and goddesses, to prepare for the festivities. After they have cleaned their homes, they wear new clothes and get together to offer prayers and seek the blessings of the Goddess Saraswati.

Cultural programs, music, dance performances, and other activities also mark the festival. Overall, Saraswati Puja is a time for families and communities to come together to celebrate the importance of knowledge, education, and cultural heritage. The festival is a reminder of the importance of valuing and preserving the wisdom and traditions passed down from generation to generation.

Why is Basant Panchami Celebrated?

Basant Panchmi is celebrated to mark the arrival of spring. It is celebrated 40 days before spring in the month of Magha (according to the Hindu lunisolar calendar). The festival is celebrated to honour the Hindu Goddess Saraswati. She is worshipped as the goddess of music, wisdom, language, and other forms of art. 

Significance of Basant Panchami

India is a land of diversity, where different cultures and traditions coexist in harmony. One such festival that showcases this diversity is Basant Panchami. Known as Saraswati Puja in eastern regions, Sri Panchami in southern states, and Basant Panchami in northern parts of the country, this festival marks the arrival of spring and is celebrated on the fifth day of Magha mass (month) in the Hindu calendar.

People from different regions celebrate Basant Panchami in their own unique ways. The festival is considered an auspicious day to start something new. For example, Hindus in northern India honour the goddess of knowledge, art, and learning, Saraswati, on this occasion. According to Hindu beliefs, Saraswati was born on this day and is worshipped in many temples and homes. The festival also marks the beginning of preparations for the upcoming festival of Holi, which is celebrated 40 days after Basant Panchami.

Overall, Basant Panchami symbolises the unity in diversity of India and the celebration of nature and its beauty. It is a reminder of the rich cultural heritage and traditions of India that have been passed down through generations.

Final Word

Basant Panchmi, also known as Vasant Panchmi or Saraswati Puja, is a Hindu festival that celebrates the coming of spring and the arrival of Holi. The festival is celebrated in honour of the Hindu Goddess Saraswati, who is the goddess of knowledge, music, language, and other arts. 

Different regions in India celebrate the festival in various ways, such as dressing in yellow, preparing sweet delicacies, visiting temples, and organising fairs. Additionally, Sikhs also celebrate the festival, and it is known as Hari Raya Saraswati in Indonesia.  Don’t hold yourself back from celebrating this auspicious festival and welcoming luck and knowledge. Go all out with Navi Cash Loan – instant disbursal, flexible EMIs and 100% paperless. Download the Navi app now!

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