HINDU TEMPLE  OF KENTUCKY

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VASANT PANCHAMI

Vasant Panchami day puja is devoted to Saraswati, the godess of learning and wife of Brahma. She bestows the greatest wealth to humanity i.e. the wealth of Knowledge.

Vasant Panchami, the Festival of Kites, falls on Panchami of the Sukal Paksh ( Waxing moon) towards the close of winter in the month of January-February. The weather circle seems to be changing otherwise Vasant used to bring a message of softness in the weather in place of the hard cold season. Vasant is the time when mustard fields are yellow with it the spring is ushered in. So Punjabis welcome the change and celebrate the day by wearing yellow clothes, holding feasts and by organising kite flying.

The lady of the house dressed in yellow with zari and gota on the dress, looking like Lakshmi, the wife of Vishnu (a housewife is always alluded to as Lakshmi and no other goddess) with the chonp, bindi on the forehead and yellow and red bangles on the arms, sets the trend for everyone to become festive.

On Vasant Panchami, Saraswati is worshipped and in Bengal it is called the Saraswati Puja. They worship her with flowers, specially with basaka (justicia gendarussa), and decorations are made chiefly with 'Ganda' (marigold_, the yellow coloured flower to represent the season - Vasanta. All ladies attire themselves in yellow and worship her. She is generally represented sitting cross-legged on a lotus or a water-lilly holding Vina. Her vehicle is swan in Bengal and peacock in some regions.

Goddess Saraswati being the embodiment of intellect and wisdom is depicted as pure white in colouris knowledge is in itself the antithesis of the darkness of ignorance. The Padmapurana describes Goddess Saraswati being seated on a white Lotus clad in a spotless white apparel with'a necklace of white beads, decked with white flowers and holding the Vina. She is sometimes described to have four hands holding Vina, aksamala (rosary) and Pushtaka (book). Saraswati is extolled by the Gandharvas, worshipped by both Devas and Asuras and adored by Munis and Rishis. She is the embodiment of universal knowledge.

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