Basant Panchami 2023: Every year Basant Panchami is celebrated on the fifth day of Shukla Paksha of Magh month. Basant Panchami is also known as Saraswati Puja, Shri Panchami, Madhumas and Gyan Panchami. This year the festival of Basant Panchami will be celebrated on January 26, 2023. On this auspicious day Saraswati, the Goddess of wisdom, learning and knowledge, is worshipped. Basant Panchami has special significance for Hindus. It is believed that any student who duly worships Maa Sharda gets auspicious results and success in life. Know more about the day here:

Basant Panchami 2023 Shubh Muhurat

Panchami Tithi: Basant Panchami will start at 12.35 pm (January 25, 2023)

Basant Panchami will be till 10.29 in the morning. ( January 26, 2023)

Maa Saraswati Puja Vidhi on Basant Panchami

• Wake up early in the morning of Saraswati Puja, take a bath and wear clean clothes.
• If possible, wear yellow or white colored clothes on Basant Panchami.
• Purify the worship house or temple with Ganges water.
• Put a yellow cloth on the post of worship and install an idol or picture of Maa Saraswati on it.
• Offer saffron, roli, turmeric, rice, fruits and yellow flowers by applying sandalwood tilak on the idol of Maa Saraswati.
• Offer Boondi or Boondi laddoos, sugar candy, curd and halwa to Goddess Sharda.
• Students put pen, copy and book at the feet of Mata Saraswati and remove it from there on the second day of worship.
• Perform aarti of Maa Saraswati.
• Chant Saraswati mantras.

Saraswati Mantra for Basant Panchami

1. Namasthasyai, namasthasyai, namasthasyai, namasthasyai.

2. Om Aim Saraswati Namah.

3.  Ya kundandutusharaharadhavala ya shubravastraavrita
ya veenavaradandamandanitakara ya shwetapadmasaana.

Basant Panchami Celebrations Across India

Basant Panchami is predominantly, celebrated in eastern parts of India as Saraswati Puja, particularly in West Bengal, Bihar and north-eastern states like Tripura and Assam. The goddess, Saraswati is dressed in yellow, and flowers, sweets of the same colour are offered to her. People visit her temples and worship her. 

In North India, especially in Punjab and Haryana, Basant Panchami is celebrated as a festival of kites. Sweet rice is one such mouthwatering dish served in Punjab. Other dishes include Makki ki roti and Sarso ka saag. The sight of wide patches of fields filled with mustard crops is another characteristic of this season. 

In Rajasthan wearing jasmine garland to celebrate this festival is a part of the rituals. The colour yellow holds great importance in the celebration of Basant Panchami. It marks the harvest time of mustard crop that has yellow blooms, which is Goddess Saraswati's favourite colour. Hence, yellow attire is worn by the followers of Saraswati. Moreover, a traditional feast is prepared for the festival wherein the dishes usually are yellow and saffron in colour. 

In the southern states of India, the festival is celebrated as Sri Panchami. Yagnas are done in schools and colleges as students celebrate with great sincerity and fervour. It is believed that Goddess Saraswati bestows her devotees with lots of wisdom, learning and knowledge, as the goddess is considered to be an epitome of wisdom.

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