Geetha Patil
NEW YORK: Vasant (spring) Panchami (fifth day) is a festival that falls on the fifth day of the Hindu lunar month of Magha (January-February) marking the beginning of winter’s end and the starting of spring.
This year, Vasant Panchami will be celebrated on Saturday, February 5, 2022, during the Muhurat – 6:54 am to 11:59 am. Goddess Saraswati will be worshiped by dressing her up in yellow Saree, decorated with yellow flowers, and offered yellow fruits and sweets. After her Puja, sweets and snacks will be shared with all devotees along with blessings. On behalf of the temple Management Committee, Pandit Jayanarayan Badal Ji cordially invites all the devotees to attend the Puja and seek Ma Saraswati’s blessings.
In India, Vasant Ritu (season) is known as the “King of all seasons,” it not only brings relief from the cold of winter, but it is also marks the time of the blooming of yellow mustard flowers in the fields, a color that symbolizes knowledge, light, optimism, energy, prosperity, everything positive and peace. It is thus considered an auspicious time to begin new ventures, like getting married, buying a house, or starting a new enterprise or perform house-warming ceremony (griha pravesh) or Vidyarambam/Aksharabhyasam (giving the first lesson on writing alphabets /education to children), or Annaprasan (giving solid food to baby for the first time) or ear piercing. At home, books, pens, and notebooks are placed near Ma Saraswati’s feet to be blessed before students use them. This festival is also celebrated in educational institutes like schools and colleges and all pray her to bestow on them wisdom, and knowledge.
Vasant Panchami is also celebrated as the birthday of the Goddess Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge, wisdom, learning, and art and commemorate this day since the great Sanskrit poet Kalidasa, of 4th-5th century CEwas endowed with incredible intelligence and wisdom by Ma Saraswati, and eventually became a highly renowned poet. Devotees also celebrate Vasant Panchami as the birth day of Ma Saraswati and pray in hopes that they too can become recipients of her bestowed wisdom and intelligence.
As per the Hindu mythology, Lord Brahma had created the earth and humans, but felt it was too quiet, so on this day; he created Saraswati by sprinkling some water in the air. As she came from water, she is also called the water goddess. Saraswati then filled the world with beautiful music and blessed it with her voice, intellect, and learning. Goddess Saraswati has four hands that symbolize ego, intellect, alertness and the mind. She carries a lotus and scriptures in two of her hands and she plays music on the Veena (similar to a sitar) with her other two hands. Her white dress is a symbol for purity.
The goddess Saraswati sitting on a lotus, symbolizes her wisdom. When she is seen sitting on a peacock, it is a reminder that a strong ego can be held back by wisdom. On this day, she rides on a white swan that signifies that people should have the ability to discern the good from the bad.
Another narrative connected to Vasant Panchami is that Kamadeva, the god of love tried to wake Shiva from his meditation by creating a congenial springtime atmosphere, and firing five desire-inducing arrows at Shiva. Shiva opened his third eye and immediately burned Kamadeva to ashes. Later, at the request of Kamadeva’s wife Rati, Shiva saved him with a condition that only Rati would be able to see him in his physical form but for others, he would be a disembodied spirit of love and desire. However, at this time of year, Kamadeva stimulates the passions of both the earth and its people, as a result, the land becomes alive with new blossoms and people feel invigorated with new energies.
In some States, on this day, people worship Sun God who symbolizes wisdom and spiritual light. He ends winter and provides the sunlight needed for trees to grow new leaves, and flowers to blossom after months of cold and short days. Surya’s warmth revitalizes and animates people to come out of reclusion, inspires them to make productive plans and take up new tasks.
For more information, please visit Shri Mariamman Temple website at https://www.shrimariammantemple.org/
