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Vasant Panchami Smt. Purnima A. Desai
Vasant Panchami one of the festivals of India is celebrated every year on the 5th day of the bright fortnight (Maha Sud Five) of the lunar month of Magha ( the 10th of February). Vasant means spring. The true spring occurs 40 days after Vasant Panchami. Vasant is the period between the time when the sun enters the Meen rashi (Pisces) till entry into Vrushabh (Taurus). It is celebrated more in welcoming the blooming of nature after the winter is almost over. Mahakavi Kalidas lauds as "Rituraj" - King of seasons in his "Raghuvamsh". In the Gita, Lord Krishna considers Vasant as one of his forms. This day one should also worship Lord Vishnu.
Hindus celebrate this festival with great enthusiasm and it is believed that on this day Goddess Saraswati was born. Saraswati, the Goddess of wisdom, art and music endows us with the powers of speech, wisdom and learning. Yellow color is a sign of auspiciousness and represents the ripening of the spring corps. She has four hands representing four aspects of human personality in learning: mind, intellect, alertness and ego. She has sacred scriptures in one hand and a lotus - the symbol of true knowledge in the second. With her other two hands she plays the music of love and life on a string instrument called the Veena. She is dressed in white - the symbol of purity - and rides on a white swan - symbolizing Sattwa Guna or purity and discrimination. The color yellow is given special importance on Vasant Panchami. On this day, Saraswati is dressed in yellow garments and worshipped. People prefer to wear yellow clothes on this holy day for prosperity, white and yellow color sweets and snacks are offered as prasad and distributed among students, friends and relatives. Many parents choose this day to teach their children first words to read and write. Brahmins get special respect for the religious puja and get dakshinaa and grains.
Pandit Madan Mohan Malviyaaji laid the foundation of Kashi Hindu Vishwa Vidyaalaya - world renowned university on Vasant Panchami day.
Swaminarayan Sampradaya celebrates Vasant Panchami for four significant events. 1. The advent of Shishapatri -a scipture - the essence of Hindu Dharma, 2. Birth of Nishkulanand Swami, 3. Brahmanand Swami, 4. Shashtiji Maharaj (Shashtri Yagnapurushdas).
Vasant Panchami has religious, social as well as seasonal importance to all Hindus all over the world. This festival is celebrated in full swing every year by aspirants.
May Mata Saraswati bless us all.
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