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Basant Panchami or Vasant Panchami is a Hindu spring festival that is observed on the fifth day of the Indian traditional calendar month of Magha. It typically falls in the Gregorian months of January or February. This year, Basant Panchami is being celebrated on January 22. On this day, educational institutes organise cultural events, pooja is performed at homes and in temples and a variety of delicacies are prepared. From kite flying to giving milk to snakes, the celebrations for Basant Panchami vary widely. On this day, Goddess Saraswati’s birthday is also celebrated. People also worship Sun god and Kama, the god of love, on this day. It marks the beginning of a season of awakening and the end of ignorance. Interestingly, Basant Panchami also marks the beginning of the festival of colours, Holi, in most temples in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh.
On this day, Holi starts in most of the temples of Braj. These 40 days duration are completely dedicated for the upcoming festival of colors. Reportedly, Govardhan Pithadishwar Krishnadas Kanchan Maharaj said that with the will of the lord, the superpower divided him into five parts. An article in Samachar Jagat states that he has appeared in various parts of Lord Shri Krishna in Radha, Padma, Durga, Savitri and Saraswati. The goddess that originated from the gut of Shri Krishna at that time was Saraswati. The Brahmavyavarta Purana states that Saraswati has all the qualities and hence, she is worshipped on this day. Also, on this day, Lord Krishna, at Radha’s behest, went to the forest to pick up different types of flowers and then played Holi with each other.
It was predicted that with time, gulal (power colours) will take the place of flowers while playing Holi in temples. The same gulal is then distributed as Prasad among devotees. Reportedly, on Basant Panchami, the chief of the Dwarkadhish temple puts gulal on the devotees and the same happens at Nanda Bhavan. This marks the beginning of the Holi festival for people in this region. The first stick of Holi dehen is placed today and people sing songs to mark the occasion. Gulal is also put on devotees at Raja Thakur Gokul, Danghati Temple and Mukut Mukharbind Temple in Mansi Ganga. Pilgrims also take a holy dip and the popular song, Holi ke rasiya, is sung. It is said that if a newlywed couple visits the bride’s maternal home in the period between Basant Panchami and Holi, then the groom is welcomed with Holi gulal (colours). He is completely smeared with colours without worrying about the season or time. Thankfully, he is later gifted with a new set of clothes!
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