The goddess of every learner
Saraswati is the goddess of knowledge, speech, music and the arts. Her worship is the simplest way to sanctify learning itself: books, pens and instruments are placed before her, the student bows, and the work that follows is offered to her. Her colours are white, for purity of mind, and yellow, the colour of spring and of Vasant Panchami.
When to do it
- Vasant Panchami (Magh Shukla Panchami): her great festival, celebrated in homes, schools and colleges, and the traditional day to begin a child's education.
- Navratri: in Bengal and South India she is worshipped in the last days of Shardiya Navratri, when books and instruments are rested before her.
- Before exams, a performance, or any new course of study.
- Every morning before study, in brief.
What you will need
- A picture or murti of Saraswati
- A white or yellow cloth
- White or yellow flowers (jasmine, marigold) and a garland
- Sandal, akshat, a little haldi
- Books, pens, notebooks and musical instruments to place before her
- A ghee lamp, incense
- Naivedya: kheer, yellow sweets (kesari bhaat, boondi), fruit
Step by step
- Prepare. Bathe and wear clean clothes; on Vasant Panchami, wear yellow. Sit facing east or north.
- Ganesh first. Offer a flower to Ganesha.
- Sankalpa. With water in your right hand, state your name and prayer (for learning, clear speech, success in study), then let the water fall.
- Set up. Place her picture on the white or yellow cloth, and arrange the books, pens and instruments before her.
- Offer. Sandal and akshat, then white or yellow flowers and the garland. Apply a little sandal or haldi to the books and pens too.
- Lamp and incense. Light the lamp and show incense.
- Bhog. Offer kheer or yellow sweets and fruit.
- Vandana. Recite the Saraswati Vandana, Ya Kundendu.
- Path. Read the Saraswati Chalisa.
- Aarti. Sing Jai Saraswati Mata.
- Close. Bow, ask for a clear mind, and share the prasad. Students often write "Om" or a short prayer on the first page of a new notebook.
Things to keep in mind
- Books are her form: they are not stepped on, put on the floor where feet go, or thrown.
- In many traditions, on Saraswati Puja day the books placed before her are rested and not used until the next morning.
- For young children, Vasant Panchami or Vijayadashami is the day for Vidyarambh: their first letters are written in rice or on a slate before her.
Frequently asked questions
Can students do Saraswati puja before exams?
Yes. A short puja the morning of an exam, with the vandana and a flower before her picture, is a very common practice.
Why is yellow worn on Vasant Panchami?
Yellow is the colour of spring, of the mustard fields in bloom, and of Saraswati's festival.
Which mantra is chanted for Saraswati?
The best-known prayer is the Ya Kundendu vandana. Many students also chant the Gayatri Mantra, a prayer for an illumined mind.