Vasant Panchami 2027
11 February 2027

Vasant Panchami is Magh Shukla Panchami, kept as the day Saraswati, goddess of learning, speech and the arts, is worshipped, and as the first day of vasant, spring, in the Hindu calendar. Popular tradition holds that Saraswati appeared on this day, giving voice and knowledge to a newly created world, which is part of why the day is set aside for her above the rest of the year.

Yellow is the day’s own colour, worn in clothes and seen in the mustard fields in bloom across the north at this time of year, and offered in sweets such as kesar halwa and boondi. Many families use this day for Vidyarambha or Akshar Abhyas, a child’s first formal letters, written with a finger in rice or turmeric before Saraswati’s image, holding it auspicious for starting a child’s schooling, and students and anyone connected with music, writing or the arts keep a special puja to her as well.

• Saraswati’s picture or idol
• Yellow cloth and flowers
• White flowers
• Books, pens or musical instruments to place before her
• Rice or turmeric for Vidyarambha
• Kesar halwa or boondi for bhog
• Akshat and a garland

What to do

• Keep books, instruments and tools of your trade near Saraswati’s image through the day, even if you cannot do a full puja, since many people take this as enough to mark the day.
• If a child is starting school or letters this year, choose this day for it if your family keeps that custom, since Vidyarambha is held auspicious at this time.
• Wear yellow if you can, even just a scarf or a kurta, since it is the day’s own colour across most homes that keep it.

What to avoid

• Many families avoid starting heavy or quarrel-prone work on this day, keeping it instead for study, music and quiet celebration.
• Avoid placing books or instruments on the floor on this day, a small mark of respect many households keep for Saraswati’s day in particular.

Vasant Panchami is kept with kite flying in parts of the north and east, and in Bengal and Odisha the same day is Saraswati Puja proper, with elaborate pandals and the custom of not reading or writing at all until the goddess has been worshipped. In Punjab the same season brings Basant, kept with yellow kites and fairs rather than a puja.

The day is read by the Panchami running at sunrise, so its date can differ by a day between cities and countries when the tithi changes close to that hour.