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Every year on vasant panchmi ‘Sarawasti Puja
‘is celebrated in Hindu houses across the world. Saraswati maa is the
goddess of knowledge, wisdom, music, art, science, commerce, theatre and all
existing education on the earth. The Hindu believe that worshipping Saraswati
maa will not only give knowledge and wisdom but also give them right kind
of wit and common sense to overcome all
impediment in their life. This is the festival of faith and reverence.
In Bihar, this festival is celebrated with fervor and enthusiasm.
Generally, most of the schools, educational institutions, and offices celebrate
the festival installing the idol in the premises. This celebration lasts for two days. On the
eve of festival, the employee/ students make pandal (raised platform)
and decorate it with flower, banana tree and available artificial material in the market. On the first day of
the festival, idol is installed on/in the pandal and priest worships before the
idol for hours. This ritual takes place according to auspicious worship time (puja
Muhurtam). Generally, the puja
starts in morning and continues till afternoon. When the worship is over, naivaidyam
(oblation) is distributed among themselves. People from the community visit
such premises in the evening and the organizer distributes naivaidyam to all devotees/
visitors. Next day Priest completes the rituals and the students/ employees
take out procession to immerse the idol of Saraswati maa in river/pond/canal
/any alternative water body.
In Bhagalpur and Munger district, I observed that illiterate and working class people celebrate this festival with more passion and dedication than students and professionals. Most of the villages have many saraswati puja committees and each committee install the idols and celebrate it with zeal. To raise fund for the puja, committee selects some volunteers who can collect the money from community and other places. These volunteers start working after Makar sankriti (14th January). Volunteers go door to door to collect money from the villagers, some volunteers stand on the main road and collect the money from people who run bus, truck, car, motor or two-wheeler on the road. Sometime they do not spare even commuters; they waylay them and do not leave them until they give their contribution to the festival. This routine of volunteers continues till last date of festival.
Chhat is considered as biggest festival of Bihar. During this festival, devotees and their families shun tobacco, hashish, drugs, wine and other liquor related items completely. But such prohibition is not applicable / followed in Saraswati Puja. It has been seen that sometimes, some groups earmark some amount from the collected money for liquor and drugs, and during festival, they consume it in night. Such practice vitiates the positive atmosphere of the festival. Such practice must be stopped and voluntary/ community organization should work to ensure drug/liquor free festival.
It has been observed that especially in town / city, during idol immersion, some youth do not hesitate to commit wrongdoing. They dance vulgarly on raunchy songs, shout offensive slogans, harass women and brazenly do eve teasing on the road. Such act makes mockery of this festival. Youth should desist themselves from such obscene behavior. Devotee must understand that knowledge, skill, wisdom, wit etc can be achieved through healthy and pious mind and keeping heart and mind pure during the festival and then after will be true worship to the goddess .
~~~ Ramanuj Dubey
In Bhagalpur and Munger district, I observed that illiterate and working class people celebrate this festival with more passion and dedication than students and professionals. Most of the villages have many saraswati puja committees and each committee install the idols and celebrate it with zeal. To raise fund for the puja, committee selects some volunteers who can collect the money from community and other places. These volunteers start working after Makar sankriti (14th January). Volunteers go door to door to collect money from the villagers, some volunteers stand on the main road and collect the money from people who run bus, truck, car, motor or two-wheeler on the road. Sometime they do not spare even commuters; they waylay them and do not leave them until they give their contribution to the festival. This routine of volunteers continues till last date of festival.
Chhat is considered as biggest festival of Bihar. During this festival, devotees and their families shun tobacco, hashish, drugs, wine and other liquor related items completely. But such prohibition is not applicable / followed in Saraswati Puja. It has been seen that sometimes, some groups earmark some amount from the collected money for liquor and drugs, and during festival, they consume it in night. Such practice vitiates the positive atmosphere of the festival. Such practice must be stopped and voluntary/ community organization should work to ensure drug/liquor free festival.
It has been observed that especially in town / city, during idol immersion, some youth do not hesitate to commit wrongdoing. They dance vulgarly on raunchy songs, shout offensive slogans, harass women and brazenly do eve teasing on the road. Such act makes mockery of this festival. Youth should desist themselves from such obscene behavior. Devotee must understand that knowledge, skill, wisdom, wit etc can be achieved through healthy and pious mind and keeping heart and mind pure during the festival and then after will be true worship to the goddess .
~~~ Ramanuj Dubey
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