Shree Panchami
Shree Panchami Festival in Nepal
Shree panchami is also known as Basanta Panchami, this festival falls usually between last week of January to first week of February. It is celebrated as the birthday of Hindu Goddess Saraswoti. Goddess Saraswati is the Goddess of education, knowledge and wisdom. This day is particularly more important to students as it is believed that worshipping Saraswati on this day will receive the blessings from her and it will increase their intelligence and horizon of wisdom. In Nepal this day is very important for students of all levels. Normally all the educational institute have a saraswati-puja function on this day. All the teachers and students do the saraswati puja in the school.
On this day hindu devotees visit saraswati temples and do their prayers with writing few words on the walls of temples with chalk. They will also worship their books, notebook and pens on this day. They will also swallow 7 rice grains after the puja without touching it to the teeth while swallowing those rice grains. It is believed that this way of prayer will make Saraswati happy.
The popular temples where the huge crowd will gather for prayers in Kathmandu are Saraswati Temple in Swyambhunath and Saraswati temple in Tribhuvan University. The Saraswati Temple of Tribhuvan University is only open for Saraswati Puja day for the visitors. Other day the temple remain closed for visitors.
Nepalese parents use this day to start feeding rice to their newly born or start teaching their kids to write and read as this is a very auspicious day.
If you are in Nepal on this day Nepal One Tours & Travels suggest you to do following activities :
- Visit the any near temples and stupas of the valley to see young kids and teenagers writing their names on the wall and write your name too or the name of someone who might need the wish.
- Visit the Kathmandu durbar Square to see the Basanta Shrawan program.
- Visit Saraswati Temples of Swyambhunath and Tribhuvan University.