Basanta Panchami is celebrate on the fifth day of the the month of Megha and thus, the named “Panchami”. It marks the onset of spring season, ie ‘basant ritu’ in hindi.
Basanta Panchami also called saraswati puja in honour of goddess Saraswati, the festival is celebrate by people of Indian subcontinent and other various region. Basanta Panchami is celebrate on the fifth days on the month of Magha (according to Hindu calendar), which typically falls in late January or February, as spring known as the “King of Season”, it is generally winter like season in northern India and spring season in western part of country. This being celebrates before forty days if spring in full bloom.
The festival is particularly observed by Hindu in Indian subcontinent, notable India and Nepal, it also been celebrate by Sikhs. This Basanta Panchami is also known as Sri Panchami, apart, from these the Basanta Panchami or Sri Panchami were being celebrate on the island of Bali and the Hindus of Indonesia, where it known as “Hari Raya Saraswati”.
Saraswati is also known as Sharada. She is known to be the Hindu goddess of knowledge. Along with knowledge,she is devi of speech, music, art, learning and wisdom. She is the part of trinity (Tridevi) of Saraswati, Lakshmi and Durga. All the three equal forms with the trinity, Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh(shiva). Devi Saraswati, mention in Rig Veda. She has remains significant as a goddess from vedic period.
In Vedic literature, Saraswati aquires the same significant from early India. It mentioned in descriptive manner in Rig Veda. She is already declared to the “possessor of knowledge”, her importance is much more to compare the Vedic in ancient age.
In Vedic literature, saraswati plays an important role in early Indians. As that the accredited to the river Ganga by their modern descended. In Upanishads and Dharma Sastra, Saraswati is invoked- to remind the reader to medidate on virtues, virtuous emoleument, the meaning and the very essence of one’s activity, one’s action.
In some interpretation in Hindu mythology“sara” is translated as “Essence” and “sva” is translated to “self”. Thus, the name saraswati would translate to she who reconciles the essence with one self.
The goddess Saraswati is considered as a beautiful woman who is dressed up in pure white or yellow coloured saree. She seat on a lotus flower which indicates light, knowledge and truth. She not only embodies knowledge but also experience of the highest reality- The white and yellow colour symbolized sattwa Guna or purity, discrimination for true knowledge, insight and wisdom.
She is generally to have four arms, but sometimes two. Which shows the mirror of Brahma’s four head, representing manas( mind, sence), buddhi ( intellect), citta( imagination), and ahankara( self consciousness).
The four hand hold items with symbolic meaning- a pustaka(book),a mala( garland), a water pot and a musical instrument(veena). The books she hold in her hand are Vedas. The Vedas represents the universal, divine, etarnal and true knowledge, as well as learning.
A mala or garland representing the power of meditation and inner reflection and speritulisation. A pot of water, represent the purifying water .i.e. pure like water. The most famous features of Devi Saraswati is veena it’s represent all creatives, art, and science, and her holding its symbolized expression of knowledge and harmony.
A hansa or Swarn is a sacred bird, which if offered a mixture of milk and water, is said to be able to drink the milk and water. It symbolized the ability to discriminate between good and evil. Saraswati is also referred to her vehicle, it symbolized transcendence and moksha.
Devi Saraswati is known by many names in an ancient Hindu literature some examples are, Brahmani( power of Brahma), Vani and Vachi( both referring the flow of music melodious speech, eloquent speaking respectively), Varnesvari( goddess of letters), Vidyadatri( goddess who provide knowledge, Vagdevi( goddess of speech), and many more.
It is concluded,that Goddess Saraswati is the goddess of knowledge and serves her Power among her children to enjoy the propensity of life with full of knowledge and experience.
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