Is Basant Panchami on 14th or 15th February? Know the Correct Date, Timings, and Shubh Muhrat For Saraswati Puja

Basant Panchami 2024 Date: Vasant Panchami, popularly known as Saraswati Puja is celebrated to honour the Hindu goddess Saraswati. The auspicious Hindu festival marks the arrival of spring and Holi. It is celebrated forty days before spring in January or February. Vasant Panchami is commonly observed by Hindus in the Indian subcontinent, notably India and Nepal. This article will clear the uncertainty around the correct date and auspicious timings for Saraswati Puja celebrations. 

Basant Panchami 2024: Date & Timings

Vasant Panchami is celebrated every year on the fifth day of the bright half of the Hindu lunisolar calendar month of Magha. It typically falls in late January or February of the Gregorian calendar. During this festival, the weather is more winter-like in northern India, and more spring-like in central and western parts of India on Vasant Panchami, marking the full bloom of spring in the next 40 days of the Basant Panchami celebration.

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What Is The Significance Of Saraswati Puja?

The Goddess of wisdom, music, art, science, and technology, Saraswati, is worshipped and honoured on the occasion of Basant Panchami. She symbolizes creative energy, and power in all its forms, including longing and love. Also known as Saraswati Panchami and Shri Panchami, the day celebrates the harvest, ripening of fruits, and yellow flowers of the mustard crop.

People worship Goddess Saraswati to become enlightened and overcome ignorance, sluggishness, and lethargy. One of the well-known rituals of Vasant Panchami is the tradition/rituals of Akshar-Abhyasam or Vidya-Arambham/Praasana. According to Astro Science, Basant Panchami is an Abujha period which is auspicious to start all good work.

How Is Basant Panchami Celebrated?

The day is celebrated with various traditions and rituals in almost all parts of the country. On this day, people consume sweets, wear white or yellow clothes, and decorate their homes with yellow flowers. In Rajasthan, people wear jasmine garlands to celebrate the day. On the first Basant Panchami after marriage, newlyweds in Maharashtra visit the temple and offer flowers to God. Sikhs and Hindus wear yellow headdresses or turbans in the Punjab region. In Uttarakhand, people worship Shiva and Parvati as the mother earth, the crops, and agriculture on the occasion of Saraswati Puja. Individuals wear and consume yellow clothing. It's also a big time for exchanging gifts and shopping for school supplies. 

The Punjabi Muslims in and around Lahore also enjoy kite flying as a tradition in Pakistan on the occasion of the Basant season, honouring the history and culture of the Indian subcontinent.

In conclusion, Basant Panchami is a vibrant and auspicious festival that marks the arrival of spring. The day dedicated to the goddess Saraswati, the embodiment of knowledge, art, and music holds great cultural and religious significance. This festival symbolizes the triumph of light over darkness, fostering a sense of renewal and creativity and encouraging individuals to embrace the positive energies of the season. 

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