Saraswati Puja is a Hindu festival that celebrates the goddess of knowledge, music, art, and wisdom, Saraswati.
Here are some ways people celebrate Saraswati Puja:
Worship: People place books and reading materials near a Saraswati statue or picture and worship the goddess.
Start learning alphabets: Many people choose this day as a symbolic start of learning the alphabets by children. This is called Hate Khori and is considered a holy start to a child's education.
Make idols: People make small idols of Saraswati and decorate them with flowers, fruits, and sweets.
Recite mantras: People recite mantras and perform aarti in front of the idols.
Dress in yellow: People dress up in yellow, the color of knowledge.
In Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the last three days of the Navaratri festival are celebrated as Saraswati Puja. On Vijaya Dashami, the third day, children are initiated into writing, which is called Eḻuthiniruthu or Vidyarambham.
Significance of Saraswati Puja:
This puja or worship of the deity of knowledge, Saraswati is done to invoke the blessings of the Goddess. She is the epitome of learning and the Goddess of vak or speech. The word vak is derived from Sanskrit and is known as flowing one. She represents the fusion of intelligence and power which marks the inception of creation itself. She is the Goddess of fine arts, such as poetry, dancing, music and is also the Goddess of learning.
The Rituals Observed on Saraswati Puja:
The Saraswati Puja is celebrated with a lot of gusto and zeal all over India but is South India it is only restricted to temples, unlike the eastern and northern Indian states, where it is a household affair. Enumerated below are some of the rituals of Saraswati pooja.
The idol of the Goddess of wisdom is placed on a tool covered with a basanti or mustard coloured cloth and books are piled up in front of the Goddess, including the Ramayana and the Bhagwad Gita.
Chanting of shlokas, mantras from the holy texts, doing arti while singing hymns in praise of the Goddess and ringing of bells form a vital part in the commemoration of this puja.
Kheer, cream, curd rice, parched rice, milk, gingerly balls, parched paddy and candies of sugarcane sugar are offered to the Goddess of learning.
Kumkum, betel nut, turmeric, fruits, unbroken grains of rice, new cloth piece, coconut, sandalwood paste, white flowers, incense and two ghee lamps are the other offerings made before the Goddess.
Along with books, pens and pencils are placed in front of the statue of the deity urging her to bless the books, so that the students secure good marks in the examinations and attain high wisdom and knowledge.
During Saraswati Puja obeisance is paid to the Goddess to invoke her blessings to excel in dance, science and music. She is the grantor of memory, knowledge and intelligence. She bestows, happiness, power of reasoning and fame on her devotees.
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