Saraswati Mata Puja

Saraswati Puja, is a festival of knowledge, as Devi Saraswati is the Hindu goddess of wisdom, knowledge and learning.

Devi Saraswati is a mythological personification of arts, sciences and crafts, and she represents shakti, or creativity and inspiration.

According to the Hindu planetary calendar, Saraswati Puja or Basant Panchami is celebrated on the first day of spring-when the crops are a beautiful shade of gold and the villages explode with fresh, growing life.

Vasant Panchami is referred to as the spring festival, and signifies the beginning of Vasant Retu. On this day, Goddess Saraswati is offered prayers as the Goddess of Learning, the deity of Gayatri, the origin of all knowledge forms.

Devi Saraswati's religious paintings show each of this goddess alight on vehicles that symbolize their particular power.

The white swan of Saraswati signifies purity and righteousness, while devi Saraswati is portrayed playing "Veena", an Indian string musical instrument.

Vasant Panchami is popularly known as Saraswati Day and celebrates the dawn of goddess Saraswati on earth. There are various ceremonies and rituals that are observed while worshipping goddess Saraswati.

The most familiar facet is the attire of the goddesses Saraswati, which is white in colour, while the other predominant color in the celebrations is yellow, to mark the arrival of spring and the blossoming of mustard flowers.

Flowers and wild berries are offered to the deity and students rest their books on the feet of the deity.