The Advent of Spring
A very important festival of the Hindus, celebrated in Bengal on the fifth day in the month of Magha, is marked by the worship of Sarasvati. It also marks the advent of spring and the end of the long winter.
Literally `the fifth day of spring`, Vasanta Panchami is celebrated on the fifth day of the bright fortnight in the month of Magha. It is also known as Sirapanchami in Bihar and Orissa, when the ploughs are worshipped and the land is furrowed after the winter months. In Bengal, the day is celebrated as Sarasvati Puja and is marked by the worship of Sarasvati. In Bengal, people apply colour to each other on this day
Vasanta Panchami heralds the spring season. It is hence celebrated with gaiety and festivity to mark the end of the winter, which can be quite severe in northern India. The festive colour yellow, symbolic of spring, plays an important part of this day. People wear yellow clothes, offer yellow flowers in worship and put a yellow, turmeric tilak on their forehead. They visit temples and offer prayers to various gods. At home, kesar halva, also yellow in colour, is prepared.
The festival itself dates to antiquity. It is reminiscent of the festival of Vasantotsava of the ancient times, which was one of the most important celebrations as it marked the beginning of the agricultural season. The Yajur Veda prescribes the worship of Indra, Varuna and Brahma on this day. In later texts, the worship of Kama and Rati, symbolic of fertility, is advised. This shift was presumably made to concur with the fertile season that this festival ushers in, when the earth is in full bloom, the fields are yellow with mustard flowers, and the atmosphere is one of gaiety and happiness.
In Bihar and Orissa, Sirapanchami was originally a festival of the Vaishyas. Today farmers, irrespective of their caste, worship their ploughs making auspicious marks on them with rice paste and vermilion and placing them on purified ground decorated with rangoli. Thereafter, they make ceremonial furrows in the ground. The origin of this practice is obscure, though it would appear to have originated at the time when the plough was venerated as a means of production.
On Vasanta Panchami, people also worship Sarasvati. In fact, in Bengal the day is more popularly known as Sarasvati Puja. No authentic explanation exists as to why this day has been chosen for Sarasvati. Some believed it to be the birthday of Sarasvati. For this reason, it is also known as Vagishvari Jayanti Panchami. Others believe that on this day the goddess came down to earth, along with Durga to drive away the ignorance that Mahishasura was nurturing within him. In a wider sense?Panchami though, this is the end of winter, symbolic of darkness and ignorance and the beginning of spring, symbolic of knowledge.
By making Sarasvati, the goddess of learning and wisdom, the consort of Brahma, the creator, the progenitors apparently sought to link creation or origin with learning and knowledge.This stressed the fact that without proper knowledge, there can be no origin, no creation. It also demonstrates the high regard accorded to knowledge in Hindu culture. Sarasvati Puja is celebrated in order to commemorate this.
The object of Sarasvati worship is to achieve distinction in all academic disciplines, science and literature. In addition to this, the continuity of the dynastic line of the devotee, his material prosperity and fame are also within the purview of worship. Thoughnot celebrated on a large scale, decorated tents are erected in public places and the image of the goddess is placed on a raised platform. A number of devotees congregate in the morning for arati and to offer prayers. This festival is celebrated with much enthusiasm in educational and cultural institutions and homes. Students place their books before the image of the goddess. On this day, too, the family priest puts chalk in the hand of they oungest child and guides the child`s hand in writing the alphabet: a rite symbolising an initiation into the realm of knowledge. In fact some parents wait for this auspicious day for their child to begin his education. Many children are made to write their first letter after being blessed by the goddess on this day. It is common to see children in temples sitting on the temple floor, writing their first letter.
The evening witnesses the staging of dramas and programmes of dance and music. As per custom, student sabstain from studying on this day. Ink pots and pens are worshipped and not used to write as these objects are venerated. Musicians specially in south India place their instruments before the goddess`s shrine and worship them by offering fruit, coconut, cloth, incense and oil lamps. This festival is celebrated by all, irrespective of caste. Early the next morning, the image of the goddess is immersed in a river, marking the end of the worship.