The day of education: Vasant Panchami – Erakina

Vasant Panchami or Saraswati pooja is a day celebrated by Indian people for the birth of the goddess Saraswati. Saraswati is the god of knowledge, art, and music. The day is celebrated on the bright fortnight of the lunar month of Magha, which falls under January-February. The word “Vasant” means “spring” in which the festival comes in the early spring. The people celebrate the day by doing poojas in the temple by wearing white dresses and using yellow flowers. In houses the family members gather around and pray at home and kids will keep their textbooks in front of God’s photo and do pooja. It is said that doing the ritual by keeping the book and doing pooja can help the kids to study well in their academics. On this day the temple prepares sweets and gives them to people as prasad. The god will be decorated with white-colored sarees because white is the color that represents serenity and the god Saraswati. 

Special occasions:

On this day the pre-school kids were taught to learn how to read and write to step into the educational world. The schools conduct poojas on their premises and serve sweets to the students. It is also a great day to open any educational institutes and new schools. The training institutes give great deals by reducing the fees on this day for the young student’s welfare. In some places, people use yellow flowers in the temple like daffodils and marigolds. The yellow also describes knowledge, learning, and happiness, and people celebrate the festival with love towards god.

The season of spring starts in the month of Saraswathi pooja by the new blossom of flowers in trees. Giving a positive sign of starting life with hope for all people. People will clean their houses and whitewash their homes to celebrate the festival in a clean and devotional way. In South India, the Saraswati pooja comes along with Ayuda pooja in which the people worship by doing pooja to all electronics and materials that helps them in their daily life. The festival is celebrated with full devotion to god and respect for knowledge by the people of India.

Some states celebrate the day with different rituals and different ways. The day reminds the people to be thankful for the education they have, the life that they got from it, and the importance of knowledge.

By Mukesh Kumar U M