Saraswati Puja is celebrated across the globe by the Hindus

Writer Taraprasad Mishra

JAJPUR,FEB 13 : Saraswati Puja is celebrated across the globe by the Hindus. This festival is also known by the name of Sripanchami festival and is observed on the fifth day of the spring festival on a full moon day in the month of Magh (January-February).

The word panchami means five. The Saraswati Puja festival is related to the Kaumudi utsav and the Basant utsav. Saraswati Puja marks the beginning of the Vasant Utsav and is celebrated for a period of fifteen days by the people of Uttar Pradesh till Dolepurnima or full moon day.Goddess Saraswati is the embodiment of knowledge, wisdom and learning.

The word Saraswati has been derived from the two words, knowledge (Sara) and self (Sva).She is draped in a white saree or mustard coloured or basanti saree. White signifies purity and her demeanour reflects the same. In her two rear hands she holds akshmala or prayer beads in her right hand and pustaka or book in her left hand.

 With her two fore hands she plays the musical instrument veena that symbolizes harmony. Playing the veena signifies the tuning of the intellect with the mind and knowledge, so that the devotee can blend harmoniously with the universe.

 The prayer beads signify spiritual knowledge and bring across the message that spiritual knowledge is more powerful than the secular knowledge contained in books. The deity sits on an inverted lotus that symbolizes knowledge and her vehicle is a white swan.

Students pile up their books in front of the deity earnestly seeking her blessings. On this auspicious occasion of Saraswati Puja, students are allowed to study. Young girls on this day wear mustard or basanti coloured saree after taking a refreshing bath early in the morning. The worship of the Goddess takes place in the morning and rangoli art is made with powdered rice and flowers in from the deity.

Apart from the leaves of tulsi, barley shaeves and mango blossoms offered to the deity, palash is an important flower used for this festival. Kool or berry is a distinctive fruit used in this puja. “Prashad” or cut fruits are distributed to the devotees and their family members after worshipping the deity. With the immersion of the statue of the Goddess of wisdom in the following evening, the Saraswati Puja comes to an end.

 This puja or worship of the deity of knowledge, Saraswati is done to invoke the blessings of the Goddess. She is the epitome of learning and the Goddess of vak or speech.

The word vak is derived from Sanskrit and is known as flowing one. She represents the fusion of intelligence and power which marks the inception of creation itself. She is the Goddess of fine arts, such as poetry, dancing, music and is also the Goddess of learning.