Dadi-Nani Ki Kahaani Nani Ki Kahaani Nani Ki Kahaani

FEBRUARY
Basant Panchami-Onset of Spring
Dear Children,
Basant means Spring and Panchami means the fifth day.
The above Spring Festival is celebrated during February as a celebration of the
onset of Spring. Yellow mustard flowers start to bloom. Yellow is also the color of
the Sun. The Deities in the temples and women wear shades of yellow on this day.
One offers yellow flowers, fresh shoots of sprouting grass symbolizing new life
and growth.
Many new projects begin, weddings take place, and one enjoys the strains of the
Vasanta Raga…
Baisaakhi is devoted to Mother Saraswati (Goddess of Knowledge) and people
pray for knowledge.
Books are placed at Mother Saraswati’s feet for blessing.
Mother Saraswati holds a pen in one hand: The power to communicate through the
written word. The Gayatri Mantra is one of the most well-known invocations to
Mother. The Vedas that She holds in Her hand, summon the spirit of brilliant
knowledge.
Mother’s white saree speaks of Her purity. Her carriage is the swan.
The swan is able to separate water from milk. Great Saints in the Hindu tradition
are addressed as ‘Param Hans’ meaning a great Swan. The reason? Because great
sages are able to separate good from bad, truth from falsehood and illusion, true
knowledge from ignorance…
Mother Saraswati is called Veena Vaadini. She plays an instrument called Veena
which has seven strings.
On either side of the veena there are two hollow rounds.
Maybe those hollow globes save one from drowning in the ocean of difficulties
that one encounters in Life.
The parsaad offered to the Goddess are nutrients that increase the potential of the
brain. The parsaad (food offering) consists of Misri (sugar) nuts, cardammon,
nodes of the bamboo shoot (banslochan) and lotus seeds.
The rosary made of tulsi seeds makes one consistent in the pursuit of knowledge
and spirituality.
For the puja of Mother Saraswati: The youngest girl applies a teeka on everyone's
forehead. The other devotees then sprinkle water, and other auspicious offerings on
Mother Saraswati. Aarti is performed. Parsaad for devotees consists of a few bers,
a laddoo, a paan… and good will and cheer.