Shree Panchami Today; President attends Basanta Shrawan ritual

Kathmandu / February 13: Shree Panchasmi also known as Basanta Panchami or Saraswoti Puja, is being celebrated across today by worshipping Saraswoti, the Goddess of knowledge, wisdom, learning, art, music and culture.

The festival is celebrated every year on the fifth day of the bright half of the Nepali month of Magh. People from the Hindu and Sikh communities mainly in Nepal and eastern India observe this festival. The festival is taken as the symbol of an advent of the spring season as plants start to spout, winter crops like barley and wheat plants and plum, pear and peach tress start to fruit and many flowering plants start to bloom with this.

The day is very special for students and new learners. Students take early bath, observe the mass Saraswoti Puja in schools and visits temples and listen to Basanta Shwran. Goddess Saraswoti is worshiped with various names such as Bharati, Sharada, Jagatmata, Bagishwori, Kaumari, Baradayani and Kamdhenu.

The festival is considered as the best day of starting something new in human life and make commitment to good causes.

Meanwhile, President Bidya Devi Bhandari attended the basanta shrawan ritual at the Hanumandhoka Durbar precincts this morning.

On the occasion, the President listened to the special melody basanta at the auspicious hour of 8.47 am and took the tika and prasad. The basanta is a raga or a classical melody performed on the occasion of Basanta Panchami, also known as Shreepanchami.

The Main Priest of the Hanumandhoka Management Office, Dev Raj Aryal offered tika, garlands and fruits, as the auspicious items, to President Bhandari at the function.

A contingent of the Nepalese Army presented a guard of honour to the President. There is a tradition of the Head of the State and of Government and the government dignitaries attending the basanta shrawan ritual every year.

The ritual has its origins in the Srimad Bhagawat Mahapurana religious scriptures which mentions about a particular episode in the life of the Hindu god Krishna in which Radha and her friends sing hymns in praise of lord Krishna heralding the arrival of the Spring Season. It is believed that the Spring Season begins from this day.

Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Chief Justice Kalyan Shrestha, government ministers, the heads of constitutional bodies, Gazetted Special Class officers of the government and the chiefs of the four security bodies also attended the basanta shrawan ritual and took tika and prasad.

The Main Priest at the Hanumandhoka Dasainghar, Dev Raj Aryal recited the 12 hymns about the importance of the Basanta Panchami festival. The traditional Nepali music panchaibaja was playing when the ‘basanta shrawan’ rituals were being performed. RSS