Today we celebrate Saraswati Puja back home. I remember as a child this meant an easy way to appease the Goddess to get you good grades in school. Then, this time of the year, we would be enjoying our 2 months winter vacation with school far away from our minds. This day served as a nice reminder of carefree days soon getting over. As you all must be knowing, Goddess Saraswati is considered to be the Goddess of knowledge. We used to do puja of text books. Since we'd have a little less than a month before a new school year started, most of us didnt have school books (for the next year) with us. Lucky me always had my brother's hand me downs. Yellow is considered Godess Saraswati's colour, so we all try to wear yellow that day.
All these years away from home and after having stayed in Pune for 7 years, I had almost forgotton about this day. I had been suprised when during my 1st year in Pune, I realised they celebrate do the puja during Dushera. Even now my non-Sikkim friends find it strange that we celebrate the puja in Jan-Feb.
This year today is special for me and my family in a different way. We are all closely related to books, not only because all of us are very fond of reading, but we also own a bookshop which is lovingly taken care of by my brother. My Dad enjoys writing in his spare time. We have in the past organised book fairs/contests every year on this day. But more than that, today happens to be my late Grandfather's 90th birthday. Apart from the puja, we had a small gathering of relatives for murti staphna of my Grandad's newly sculpted marble bust. Late yesterday evening I came to know that today is also my parents marriage anniversary! Since we follow Nepali calendar, I never know when their anniversary is :(. On top of that, when I called up home I came to know that today is also my nani's eigth month death anniversary.
Lots of mixed emotions. All my relatives and family were together today back home. I always feel sad knowing I have missed so many such occasions. I know I should consider myself lucky than many people to have been home twice in a year and I do too. But these emotions are hard to check.
I wish you all Happy Saraswati Puja, whether you celebrate it today or some other day or not at all. I hope Ma Saraswati's blessings are always with you. May your knowledge grow by two folds and you use it wisely :)
All these years away from home and after having stayed in Pune for 7 years, I had almost forgotton about this day. I had been suprised when during my 1st year in Pune, I realised they celebrate do the puja during Dushera. Even now my non-Sikkim friends find it strange that we celebrate the puja in Jan-Feb.
This year today is special for me and my family in a different way. We are all closely related to books, not only because all of us are very fond of reading, but we also own a bookshop which is lovingly taken care of by my brother. My Dad enjoys writing in his spare time. We have in the past organised book fairs/contests every year on this day. But more than that, today happens to be my late Grandfather's 90th birthday. Apart from the puja, we had a small gathering of relatives for murti staphna of my Grandad's newly sculpted marble bust. Late yesterday evening I came to know that today is also my parents marriage anniversary! Since we follow Nepali calendar, I never know when their anniversary is :(. On top of that, when I called up home I came to know that today is also my nani's eigth month death anniversary.
Lots of mixed emotions. All my relatives and family were together today back home. I always feel sad knowing I have missed so many such occasions. I know I should consider myself lucky than many people to have been home twice in a year and I do too. But these emotions are hard to check.
I wish you all Happy Saraswati Puja, whether you celebrate it today or some other day or not at all. I hope Ma Saraswati's blessings are always with you. May your knowledge grow by two folds and you use it wisely :)
14 comments:
Hey lots many things in row, what shall I wish you for :)
Happy Saraswati Puja
Although we don't celebrate and before reading this post never knew abt it also. But it is nice to know abt puja of books and all,yup I know how bad it is to be away from frds and relatives during occasions, lucky you.
Even these days as we are away and celebrating all our festivals so I can understand how it feels.
Good , all the best and have fun
ENjoy
I think next time you go, you should convince Uncle to write a blog regularly. Mom told me that it was my Grand Ma's death anniversary yesterday.. She called me today that they had organized a small path with Bua jee's at our house, since we are the only ones who have our holy book, "Guru Granth Sahib" at home.
Happy Anniversary to Uncle-Aunty!! May they have great year ahead with lots of love and family around.
Happy Saraswati Pooja to you too. We all are so lucky to have the blessings of Saraswati all the time through words we read...
Happy Basant Panchmi to you as well.
I was lucky enough to be near the Ganges on this day :)
Nice to read the post. You know what I also supposed to write a post on Sarswati Pooja but I could not as my boss was in town.
You know what in Nepal we celebrate Sarswati Pooja, in newari we call sas-pooja which also called Shri Panchami or Basanta Panchami as it falls the panchami, in the month Magha.
It used to be very fun this day. We used to go school in out-dress early in the morning we used to go school with a pooja thali - rest of the day we go to school with books and only that day we go with a pooja thali - School is a temple of goddess Sarwasti, the godess of knowlege and lined up and go to hall where we put the Sarswati's statue and decorate it making mountain of mud jute bags etc. And we used to do pooja and pray "Sarswati mayadrista vina pustak-dharini, hans-bahansanyukta Vidya daanam karotu me" Means hey the goddess Sarswati, who is sitting on the swan holding Vina and books give us knowledge. It's a long shloka in which the Goddess Sarswati is prised in 13 names. It's indeed a beautiful one. If you want I can send the shloka to you.
And after the pooja we used to sit on the ground in a line and prasad used to distribute and that was really fun. And we used to go other schools and get prasad but more than that it was fun to see the different statue of the Godess Sarswati and the decoration. Actually it used to be competition too. And not only the school people used to pooja in chowk, tole as sarvajanik pooja.
And next day we used to took the Goddess Sarswati to flow in the river and we play with colours. And we have the saying the colour festivals (holi) starts from then.
Sarswati poojas my highlight is to collecting chanda for doing pooja. From students and other people, shops, offices etc. We used to collect money a month in advance and a week before we used to start for preparation and how to decorate the place, school, buying the statue (from India), prasad used to be cooked in the school in a day advanced and it was packed to distribute the students, parents and whoever visits schools.
This type of the Sarswati pooja is done in the Terai of Nepal but in Kathmandu they also do Sarswati pooja but not like the way we used to do at our places. Here students go to the Sarswati temples. And it's like a festival in Swayambhu. Thousands people go to have darshan of Goddess Sarswati there and other places too. But Swayambhu's gather is remarkable.
And this is the day the small kids are taught the write and read. We Hindus take it very auspicious day. And first time the kinds are taught and also for marriage no lagan is needed.
Hajurbua's Birthday, Hajuraama's 8th month death anniversary, and mom and dad's marriage anniversaries. All this is according to the lunar calender or the Nepali date?
Happy Marriage anniversary to your Parents.
Happy Sarswati Pooja :)
My comment became longer than your post :P
Don't worry sis, you're always here with us during all the celebrations and non-celebrations at the home front. At least you don't have to undergo the stupid fasting rituals that I love to loath so much, Hajurbaje style!
Hi Preeti :) Thanks! Yeah this is a plight of everyone staying away from home. Sometimes I wish to go home for a year so that I celebrate each and every festival :)
Thanks Ricks :) Its funny isnt it how we interprete the festivals when we r kids? Thanks for your wishes
Hi DJ, hru doing? Where r u? Are you in Varanasi?
Whoa Juneli!!! Your comment must be the longest comment ever! :P Felt nice to read..I didnt know about going to school with puja-thali. For us, we had winter vacations so never went to school. And yes, I remember kids in the neighbourhood collecting 'chanda' for the puja.
Thanks for the info, I never knew how the day is celebrated in Nepal.
Brother dear, thanks! Nice to read your comment here. Hmm thats true, but would so like to be present there. See how fun Tyohar was this time :)
Beautiful Post!! I didn't knew about Saraswati Pooja in such details. Its amazing how we all celebrate festivals at same time with slightly different meanings. I am sure this is very important day for you and your family as books are not only sacred but life source for you all. Everyone wears yellow during Makar Sakranti in North India too.
All thees poojas are good, they keep the culture rich. Its difficult to follow the complete procedure according to the rituals, but doing an attempt is enough to keep people around you happy.
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Touched my heart .Hume apne bachpan ke din yaad aagaye.Thanks a lot.May Maa Saraswati bless you forever.
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