“Basant (a Sanskrit word for spring) is a seasonal festival of Indo-Pak sub-continent and it has no religious bearings. Basant is the herald of the spring and celebrated in winter (Magh) on the fourth or fifth day of lunar month. This is the reason why it is called Basant Panchami. Basant season starts on this day, therefore, Basant is regarded the herald of spring, wheat grows, and mustard blossoms in this season. (Old Aryan tradition divides a year into six seasons each having two months. Mustard blossom that is yellow in color is considered the color of spring and accordingly yellow outfits were worn).
In pre-partition India Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs all celebrated Basant. Basant festivals held in all major cities of Punjab. Yellow clothes were worn; men wore yellow turbans and women yellow dupattas and saris. It was common to sway swings among Hindu, Muslim and Sikh women together and Basant’s traditional songs were sung that reflected the liveliness and romance of life in Punjab. Kite flying was common but on a small scale with decency.
Source: The history of Basant | Lahore Nama
So the festival is for celebrating spring and not a religious occasion as misinterpreted by some people. but when people started celebrating it? Apparently, it was being celebrated before the arrivals of Muslims in India and Muslim sufi saints like Nizamudin Auliya also participated in such celebrations.
It is said that Nizamuddin Auliya had no children. He had adopted his nephew who died at the age of 20. Amir Khusro tried to cheer the bereaved Nizamuddin, but in vain.
One day while Amir Khusro was walking in the fields, he saw some young women dressed in yellow clothes and celebrating Basant. Khusro donned a yellow ghagra ad covered himself with a chunni and sang the qawwali — Sakal basant aayo ri. Seeing him dressed in yellow clothes, Nizamuddin became cheerful.
Re: Basant History
Basant is celebrated in all over India, I know of places as down south in Karnataka:)
Re: Basant History
Basant is celebrated in all over India, I know of places as down south in Karnataka:)
What is the religious importance of this festival. I heard its related to goddess Parvati.
Re: Basant History
What is the religious importance of this festival. I heard its related to goddess Parvati.
Religious importance varies from culture to culture in India, Hinduism followed in Kashmir is different from Manipur in many ways:). Basant Panchmi is celebrated and generally woman keep fasts so that God bless them with good husband:)
Re: Basant History
Religious importance varies from culture to culture in India, Hinduism followed in Kashmir is different from Manipur in many ways:). Basant Panchmi is celebrated and generally woman keep fasts so that God bless them with good husband:)
So Basant Panchmi is the fasting by unmarried girls as compared to Karwachohth which is fasting by Suhagans?
Re: Basant History
So Basant Panchmi is the fasting by unmarried girls as compared to Karwachohth which is fasting by Suhagans?
The pattern of fasting is different in vrats and it also varies from region to region. In Basant panchmi fast, generally anything apart from grains are allowed like water or fruits, and it is sun rise to sun rise fast.
KarwaChouth in northern region starts with traditional gifts os "Sargi", generally it has some delicious eatables and some fine dresses gifter by "saas" to her "bahu" and food to be consumed before sunrise as it is sunrise to moonrise fast, and women has to worship moon before ending it. the other gift is "Baya" that comes from mother's house before after noon Gauri pooja, gauri is another name of Mata Parvati, and in Gouri pooja women generally a brahmin women narrate story of vrat. Katha, the ending of vrat is less romantic than bollywood style:D, simply worship the moon, come down, have water from husband's hand.
Re: Basant History
The pattern of fasting is different in vrats and it also varies from region to region. In Basant panchmi fast, generally anything apart from grains are allowed like water or fruits, and it is sun rise to sun rise fast.
KarwaChouth in northern region starts with traditional gifts os "Sargi", generally it has some delicious eatables and some fine dresses gifter by "saas" to her "bahu" and food to be consumed before sunrise as it is sunrise to moonrise fast, and women has to worship moon before ending it. the other gift is "Baya" that comes from mother's house before after noon Gauri pooja, gauri is another name of Mata Parvati, and in Gouri pooja women generally a brahmin women narrate story of vrat. Katha, the ending of vrat is less romantic than bollywood style:D, simply worship the moon, come down, have water from husband's hand.
So No aarti and watching husband through aarti. In our terms Bollywood is biddati :D
Re: Basant History
So No aarti and watching husband through aarti. In our terms Bollywood is biddati :D
Aarti is there, I forgot to add it but it becomes more of tradition than anything romantic:D, Children are on the duty to look out for moon as the time approaches because after that they would get delicious food. In movies, they show women watching their husbands through "Chalni" and then their husband through it while in reality only moon is worshiped in that way.
For aarti my hubby says," Bakre ki bali se pehle aarti utaari jaati hai, yahaan bali (after taking all gifts for festival) dene ke baad aarti utaari jaati hai:D
Re: Basant History
So its kinda of Eidi for women :D I knew 'Sargi' thanks to 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham', but not knew 'Baya', what does that contain normally?
Re: Basant History
Eidi is even grand than this one as Muslims have very few festivals, I used to blackmail my landlady from mid Ramzan:D while I lived in kanpur, Baya comes from woman's mother's house is similar to Sargi, Sargi has everything from Kheer to dry fruits and is to be eaten before sunrise, it is difficult to eat without appetite if one has habit of eating late in the morning, Baya is eaten after fasting is over, and should be available before afternoon story telling, though it is not a gazetted holiday so working woman remain in their offices:)