Sun Feb 02 09:21:14 IST 2025: ## Basant Panchami 2025: Rare Confluence of Festival and Kumbh Mela Royal Bath

**Allahabad, India – February 2, 2025** – Basant Panchami, also known as Saraswati Panchami, is being celebrated today, marking the beginning of spring and honoring the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, and arts, Saraswati. This year’s celebration holds special significance as it coincides with the fourth royal bath (Shahi Snan) of the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, a rare event occurring after 144 years.

The auspicious timings for Basant Panchami are as follows: Panchami Tithi begins at 9:14 AM on February 2nd and ends at 6:52 AM on February 3rd. The most auspicious time for Saraswati Puja is from 7:09 AM to 12:35 PM on February 2nd, lasting approximately 5 hours and 26 minutes. The auspicious time for the royal bath is between 5:24 AM and 6:16 AM.

This year’s Basant Panchami is further enhanced by a confluence of auspicious yogas – Siddha Yoga, Uttara Bhadrapada Nakshatra, and Revati Nakshatra. Devotees are encouraged to wear yellow, saffron, or white clothes and perform puja facing east or north. Offerings of white sandalwood, yellow and white flowers, mishri (crystallized sugar), yogurt, and kesar kheer (saffron rice pudding) are recommended. The mantra “Om Aim Saraswatayai Namah” should be chanted.

According to tradition, Basant Panchami is considered an “abuja muhurat,” an auspicious time for any undertaking. Many believe that donating educational materials and observing one’s palms upon waking bring blessings from Goddess Saraswati.

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