Hindus celebrate Vasant Panchami today

Vasant Panchami is dedicated to Mata Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge, music, arts, science and technology. She is worshipped to get enlightened with knowledge and to get rid of lethargy, sluggishness and ignorance. This ritual of initiating education to children is known as “Akshar-Abhyasam or Vidya-Arambham/Praasana, which is one of the famous rituals of Vasant Panchami. It is an auspicious day to start any good work, schooling and academics, perform Saraswati puja and seek her blessings. Saraswati Ya Kundendu is the most famous Stuti dedicated to Goddess Saraswati and part of the famous Saraswati Strotam and is recited during the puja. The famous German thinker, Schopenhauer, remarked in the introduction of his book, “The Upanishads,” “In the whole world there is no study so beneficial and so elevating as that of the Upanishads. It has been the solace of my life (and) it will be the solace of my death. Books are to be revered and treated with respect.