Basant

We have been brain washed into giving importance to Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, Mother-in-Law’s Day etc. In the process we are beginning to loose the importance of our own festivals. Today being Basant Panchami, I decided to note down all that I know about this festival. I am sorry to say not much. Even the Wikipedia was of limited help.

Well, Basant Panchami is celebrated on the fifth day of Shukla Paksha of Magh month. So this year, the festival is being celebrated on 28 January 2012. This festival is a harbinger of spring. It is also said to be the birth day of Goddess Saraswati, the Goddess of Learning and speech. Yellow is the colour celeberated on Basant day- ladies wear yellow coloured clothes and yellow sweets are prepared.

In Panjab the common phrase used is ayee basant paala urrunt meaning that with the coming of Basant, cold disappears. In the Guru Granth Sahib, there are a total of 31 raga compositions and raga Vasant is the twenty-fifth to appear in the ragmala. The Ragmala calls Basant as a putra (son) of Hindol, which too is a spring raga.

This day is also special for kite lovers as kites are specially flown. What is the connection- I dont really know!

Please do add all that I have missed out on....