Vasant Panchami Festivel (INDIA )

Vasant Panchami 

Vasant Panchami has a specific meaning: Vasant means "spring and Panchami means "the fifth day.Vasant Panchami falls on the fifth day of spring.

Shree Panchami, or the

Basant Festival of Kites is a Sikh and Hindu festival held on the fifth day of Magha (in early February) marking the start of spring and the Holi season. On this day Hindus worship Saraswati Devi, the goddess of knowledge, music, art and culture.

Occurrence

Vasant Panchami is the first and more minor of two spring-themed festivals in Hindu culture. Vasant Panchami initiates the spring festive cycle and heralds its summation that occurs with Holi.The seasonal aspects of the festival are more significant in Northern India due to the sharper contrast between the winter and the spring, however the festival's religious and cultural significance are emphasized across all celebrating regions. In ancient Indian literature, Vasant Panchami is associated with Shringara Rasam and the festival was celebrated in this tradition.Celebrations today still honor Kamadeva, his wife

Rati, and his friend Vasant (the personification of Spring).

In modern times, however, Vasant Panchami day is more commonly associated with Maa Saraswati, the goddess of learning, wisdom, knowledge, fine arts, refinement, science and technology.Goddess Saraswati is worshipped and the day is treated by celebrants as Saraswati's birthday.People worship Goddess Saraswati to attain enlightenment through knowledge and to rid themselves of lethargy, sluggishness and ignorance.

Traditions

During the ancient period when Vasant Panchami was more oriented toward Kamadeva, dancing girls, dhol players, and other celebrants would come to the royal Bakshi's palace to create an informal durbar with the royals. Specially made Vasanti clothes would be worn by the dancing girls and younger royal ladies, consisting of a skirt, blouse, and pink or saffron sari with tiny red square or circular dots. This clothing would be further embellished with gold and silver borders and brocade work. On the celebration day the dancing girls would collect flowers and mango leaves (a reference to one of the love-arrows of Kama Dev) from the garden of the Bakshi's palace. The flowers and mangoes were arranged in brass vessels and the informal durbar would be set up. The occasion was marked by the singing of various ragas usually on the theme of love (especially songs involving Krishna and

Radha or the gopies of Brij Bhoomi). At the conclusion of the celebration, the flowers would be sprinkled with red gulal and the dancing girls would apply it to their cheeks. They were then gifted a sum of money by the royal ladies.Today this is not practiced, and the festival is oriented toward

Sarasvati, however Kamadeva remains an important figure as feasts are held in his honor during Vasant Panchami,and the theme of love remains an important part of the festival with this being the most popular day of the year for weddings in some areas.