Spiritual GYAN

The day for the Goddess of Knowledge and Art is here! It’s Goddess Saraswati’s Birthday which is known as  Vasant Panchami  (Basant Panchami). This festival is celebrated every year on the 5th day of the bright fortnight of the lunar month of Magha. On 2018 this festival falls on 22nd of January (Monday) marking the beginning of spring. Vasant means ‘Spring’ and Panchami means the ‘5th day. Goddess Saraswati is considered to be the deity of knowledge, music, arts, science and technology.    Vasant Panchami  is also known by other names in different parts of the country. It is observed as ‘Sufi Basant’ in Sufi shrines, in Punjab and other adjoining regions it is celebrated as ‘Basant Festival of Kites’, in Gurudwara it is observed as ‘Sikh Festival’, in the state of Bihar, it is celebrated as ‘Harvest Festival’ and the birth anniversary of ‘Deo-Sun God’. In these regions, Vasant Panchami is celebrated with different rituals and traditions; however, the...

Vasant Panchami is celebrated on the eve of the birthday of Goddess Saraswati. It has many stories related to its celebration and read the below mythological stories. It is believed that on this day Goddess Saraswati was born. The story of Saraswati puja is related to ‘Brahma Vaivarta Purana’ and ‘Matsya Purana’. A popular folklore that’s associated with the festival is that of the legendary poet Kalidasa. As per the story, Kalidasa was a simpleton and was tricked into marrying a princess who didn’t respect him. A dejected Kalidasa tried to take his life but just before he could commit suicide, the goddess Saraswati appeared in front of him and asked him to take a dip in the river. The man did as he was told, and emerged from the water an intelligent, knowledgeable and cultured person, who would eventually become a renowned poet. Which is why on this day, the goddess is worshipped so that she may bestow the gift of knowledge to her devotees. Saraswati plays the veena, the sy...