VASANT PANCHAMI

 


Vasant meaning “spring” and Panchami meaning “fifth” is a festival that falls on the fifth day of the Hindu lunar month of Magha, marking the beginning of winter’s end and the coming of spring. Being the king of all seasons across the globe, spring not only brings warm relief from the cold weather, but it is also the time when the mustard crop blooms yellow flowers, a colour that symbolizes knowledge, light, energy, prosperity, and peace. It is thus considered an auspicious time to begin new ventures, like buying a house, or starting a job, or getting married.

 

Vasant Panchami is also celebrated as the birthday of the Goddess Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge, wisdom, learning, arts and commemorates the time she is said to have blessed the great Sanskrit poet Kalidasa, who is believed to have lived sometime during the 4th-5th century CE.

 

According to legend, there was an extraordinarily intelligent princess named Vidyottama who had defeated many prominent scholars in debate. When it was time for her to marry, she declared she would only do so with the person who was smarter than her. A group of pandits, who had found her to be overly arrogant, however, decided they would teach her a lesson by tricking her into marrying a fool instead. One day they came across a man named Kalidasa who was cutting the same branch he was sitting on from a tree. Deciding this was the fool they were looking for, the men presented him to the princess as a highly learned sage, and convinced her to marry him. Deceived by the pandits, she agreed to a swift marriage with Kalidasa. When Vidyottama inevitably discovered that Kalidasa wasn’t the knowledgeable man she thought he was, she threw him out of the palace. Dejected and ashamed, Kalidasa was determined to end his life, but was stopped by the Goddess Saraswati, who had appeared and directed him to take a dip in the nearby river instead. Following her instruction, he submerged himself in the water. When he came out, he was no longer the dumb Kalidasa, he was endowed with incredible intelligence and wisdom, and eventually became a highly renowned poet. Devotees thus pray to Devi Saraswati on Vasant Panchami in hopes that they too can become a recipient of her bestowed wisdom and intelligence.

 

On the island of Bali in Indonesia, it is known as "Hari Raya Saraswati" which means “great day of Saraswati” and it also marks the beginning of the 210-day long Balinese Pawukon calendar.

 

Many families mark this day by sitting with babies and young children, encouraging their children to write their first words with their fingers, and some study or create music together. Usually, children above 3 years old start learning on this day in a unique ceremony named 'Vidya-Arambha'.

 

Wishing everyone Happy Vasant Panchami.

 

COURTSEY: WORSHIPCOSMETIC.COM

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