With the freshly grown sarson in the farms, the upcoming spring season is marked by celebrating Basant Panchami in many regions of India. Marking the onset of the spring season in full bloom, the festival signifies a new life and praying to get fresh and healthy produce. Apart from the agricultural aspect, Basant Panchami, also known as Vansant Panchami, is also commemorated as Saraswati Puja, a major Hindu festival.
Whilst flying kites and dressing in yellow, Basant Panchami is all about indulging in a traditional festive spread. From making peele chawal and drinking kesar vala doodh, why don’t you scroll below to know more about the date, auspicious time, and the traditional dishes made for the festival?
Basant Panchami 2025: Date And Time
As per the Hindu calender, Basant Panchami falls on Sunday, 2nd February, 2025. Starting at 9:14 AM on the 2nd of February to 6:52 AM on the 3rd of Februray, Basant Panchami is to celebrate with everything yellow in 2025. The auspicious muhurta for you to gather with your friends and family for Saraswati Puja is between 7:09 AM and 12:35 PM.
Significance Of Basant Panchami
Basant, the Hindi word, literally translates to the spring season. The festival is celebrated to welcome the spring season and celebrate the transition from the bitter cold to the refreshing spring season. Since the spring season signifies growth and a fresh start to life, it is commemorated with great enthusiasm.
Mostly celebrated in states like Punjab and West Bengal, the day is dedicated to the worship of Goddess Saraswati. Being the Goddess of wisdom and intellectual growth, schools and other educational institutions often observe a tradition called Vidyarambham, which translates to begin learning to seek Her blessings.
Traditional Foods Made For Basant Panchami
Since the mustard (sarson) plants bloom at the time of Basant Panchami, yellow-coloured dishes are traditionally prepared for Basant Panchami. Some of the most popular ones are listed below.
Peele Chawal
Peele chawal, i.e. yellow rice or pulao, is usually prepared in almost every Indian household. The one-pot meal can be easily prepared by soaking rice in water and then cooking with seasonal vegetables like peas, cauliflower, carrots, and so on. With the addition of spices like haldi and red chilli powder, the pulao gets its yellow hue and is often paired with raita and chutney.
Meethe Chawal
Meethe chawal is the sweet cousin of pulao. Traditionally offered to Goddess Saraswati as bhog, you can make it with rice, sugar, saffron, and ghee. Once aromatic, meethe chawal can be garnished with chopped nuts like almonds, cashew nuts, and raisins for a richer bowl of goodness.
Makki Ki Roti With Sarson Ka Saag
Everyone is familiar with the classic Punjabi dish – sarson ka saag with makki ki roti. To make the yellow makki ki roti, you can start by kneading dough with makki ka atta, boiling water and spices like salt, black pepper, and ajwain seeds. Then, you can take small portions of the dough and cook the roti with some coriander. Topped with a generous amount of white butter, you can serve it with sarson ka saag.
Kadhi Chawal
Another classic yellow-coloured dish that’s made on Baisakhi is kadhi chawal. To make kadhi, you can start by making a batter with curd and besan and add some spices like salt, turmeric powder, and a little red chilli powder. Then, take some ghee in a pan and add mustard seeds, curry leaves, and methi seeds with the batter you just prepared. Let it cook for about half an hour till the kadhi is thicker, and then add besan pakoras to it. Once thicker, you can serve it with jeera rice.
Kesar Doodh
Kesar doodh, aka saffron milk, is a traditional accompaniment to the Basant Panchami spread. You can make it in five minutes by just warming up some milk and adding saffron and sugar or jaggery to it. To make it richer, you can add dry fruits and nuts. Pour it into glasses and serve warm.