"Nama Sharada, Nama Sharada, Nama Sharada mata- Ma Veena Pustaka dharini- Ma Vidya gyana pradayini, Bhava banjani, manoranjani..gyana pradayini ma. ....Brahma sanatani ma.."
'Bashanta panchami' or 'Sree panchami' is the day of worship for the deity of learning Godesses Saraswati. It is festival for students and those involved in the world of knowledge, art, eloquence e.t.c. It is celebrated almost in all the houses as well as schools. For me that used to be double retreat. First of course because it was a festival and holds excitement. Second because on that day officially we were not allowed to study since we used to keep our books in front of the deity so that she can shower all her blessings on them. We used to fast whole day and used to break out fast only after offering pushpanjali to Devi Saraswati. There are some special chants that I still do recite for describing teh beauty of saraswat and to offer her prayers-" Jaya jaya devi, Chorachoro Share, kuchojugo shovita, moni mukta hare. Bina ronjito Pustaka hashte, Bhagabati, Bharati Devi namastute." The pranam mantra was like this-" Saraswati mahabhabe, Bidya, komololochane, Bishwarupe, Vishalakshmi, Bidyang dehi, Namastute." I remmber one more that I was asked to recite every time before starting with studies-" Saraswati Nomostavyam, borode kama rupini. Bidya arombhomkaraswamy, siddhi bhabatu meshwada".
'Bashanta panchami' or 'Sree panchami' is the day of worship for the deity of learning Godesses Saraswati. It is festival for students and those involved in the world of knowledge, art, eloquence e.t.c. It is celebrated almost in all the houses as well as schools. For me that used to be double retreat. First of course because it was a festival and holds excitement. Second because on that day officially we were not allowed to study since we used to keep our books in front of the deity so that she can shower all her blessings on them. We used to fast whole day and used to break out fast only after offering pushpanjali to Devi Saraswati. There are some special chants that I still do recite for describing teh beauty of saraswat and to offer her prayers-" Jaya jaya devi, Chorachoro Share, kuchojugo shovita, moni mukta hare. Bina ronjito Pustaka hashte, Bhagabati, Bharati Devi namastute." The pranam mantra was like this-" Saraswati mahabhabe, Bidya, komololochane, Bishwarupe, Vishalakshmi, Bidyang dehi, Namastute." I remmber one more that I was asked to recite every time before starting with studies-" Saraswati Nomostavyam, borode kama rupini. Bidya arombhomkaraswamy, siddhi bhabatu meshwada".
When I was small , I used to go to Durga chowmuni bazar on the eve of Saraswati puja along with baba or bishum ( a place very nearby) to choose and buy the idol of saraswati and do other shoppings as well. That used to be something, that used to really excite me. There were certain things related to saraswati puja like polash fool, gada fool, amer mookool( mango buds),kul and boroi ( berry). On the day of the ouja I used to get up early, take shower after applying a paste of turmeric and neem that thakurma used to make in the haman dista. then after shower I used to help elders in preparing for the puja and used to wait eagerly for the preist. We used to stand in our gate to observe small guys and guls going to the schools in our neighbour wearing sarees. After Puja we used to eat those mango buds ( bashanta manjari- it was believed if you have this on that day immersed in chandan, it will keep away all seasonal diseases away) and prasad. Then just like others used to go to school. Everybody used to wear saree on that specially of bashanti rang or yellow colour. When I was small I used to wear saree too. But later I stopped wearing that as I used to feel shy and only again when I was in 10th standard I started wearing that. Evening We used to go to mamar bari in bhatta pukur. That day I used to wear TV for long, watch movies as there was no studies officially that day. Next day Ma used to wake me up early in the morning and We used to write the name of Saraswat"shree shree saraswati devi nama namaha" for several times in a banana leaf with milk using a shoot of jute 'doat'. And then we used to float that leaf in the pond after touching that in Saraswati's feet and then used to take her blessing and books kept at het feet and start studying for another year with lots of new hopes that probably this year she have blessed me enough so that I can top even with minimum effort.
One of the tradition of our house is to give 'Hatekori' to a child before he actually starts with his studies. Hatekori is to do a Saraswati Puja especially praying to make the child knowledgable and then to make the child write for the first time on a stone plate in front of god( Gopinatha and all). Previously the ideal age of a child for becoming eligible for the occasion used to be 5 years. But now since, we start our education much before that, the age comes down or mostly that is not the first time a child writes.
For me that was exactly at the age of five. Thakurma always used to tell me that I will have my Hatekori. On the day of the Hatekori, everything was ready. Kanudada started with the Puja write from the morning. Even pishi's and all came down. I still remember I was wearing a white new frock on that day. So though that was not for the first time wrote, but still I got to know that I am being formally eligible for studies.
Later I saw my other siblings also getting there hatekori just like that.........
One of the tradition of our house is to give 'Hatekori' to a child before he actually starts with his studies. Hatekori is to do a Saraswati Puja especially praying to make the child knowledgable and then to make the child write for the first time on a stone plate in front of god( Gopinatha and all). Previously the ideal age of a child for becoming eligible for the occasion used to be 5 years. But now since, we start our education much before that, the age comes down or mostly that is not the first time a child writes.
For me that was exactly at the age of five. Thakurma always used to tell me that I will have my Hatekori. On the day of the Hatekori, everything was ready. Kanudada started with the Puja write from the morning. Even pishi's and all came down. I still remember I was wearing a white new frock on that day. So though that was not for the first time wrote, but still I got to know that I am being formally eligible for studies.
Later I saw my other siblings also getting there hatekori just like that.........
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