Festival · 2026
Vasant Panchami 2026 — Friday, 23 January 2026
Vasant Panchami welcomes spring and honours Saraswati, goddess of learning, with yellow clothes, books laid before her and a child’s first letters.
In 2026
Friday, 23 January 2026
- Tithi
- Shukla Panchami (Shukla): 23 Jan, 2:28 AM – 24 Jan, 1:46 AM
- Lunar month
- Magha
- Sunrise / sunset
- 7:13 AM / 5:52 PM
| Puja muhurat | 7:13 AM – 12:32 PM |
|---|---|
| Purvahna (sunrise to midday) | 7:13 AM – 12:32 PM |
Rule: Magha Shukla Panchami touching the purvahna (sunrise to midday); if it touches both days, the first.
In 2027
Thursday, 11 February 2027
- Tithi
- Shukla Panchami (Shukla): 11 Feb, 3:04 AM – 12 Feb, 3:18 AM
- Lunar month
- Magha
- Sunrise / sunset
- 7:02 AM / 6:07 PM
| Puja muhurat | 7:02 AM – 12:35 PM |
|---|---|
| Purvahna (sunrise to midday) | 7:02 AM – 12:35 PM |
Rule: Magha Shukla Panchami touching the purvahna (sunrise to midday); if it touches both days, the first.
Times follow New Delhi’s sunrise and sunset. In other cities the muhurat shifts by some minutes, and occasionally the day by one. Full festival calendar
What is Vasant Panchami?
Vasant Panchami falls on the fifth day of the bright half of Magha and is traditionally seen as the first sign of spring. Vasant means spring, and panchami the fifth lunar day. Across much of north and east India it is Saraswati Puja, the day devoted to Saraswati, goddess of learning, speech, music and the arts. Yellow, the colour of mustard fields in bloom, is the colour of the day.
Tradition holds that Saraswati appeared on this day, bringing sound and meaning into a silent creation. Students place their books, pens and instruments before her and ask for clear thought. Another thread of the tradition links the day with Kamadeva and the arrival of spring. Holi comes about forty days later, and in many places its preparations begin now, when a pole is planted where the Holika fire will be lit.
For many families this is the day a young child writes or speaks their first letters, a ritual called vidyarambha or akshar abhyasam. Popular belief also treats it as an abujh muhurat, a day auspicious enough for beginnings such as lessons, housewarmings and weddings without a separate muhurat being fixed. Above all, it celebrates learning as something sacred and shared, owed as much to teachers and elders as to books.
How it is observed
- Wearing yellow and offering yellow flowers, especially marigold and mustard blossoms.
- Worshipping Saraswati at home, in schools and in community pandals, with books and instruments placed before her.
- Beginning a young child’s education by writing the first letters (vidyarambha).
- Preparing yellow food such as saffron rice, kesari halwa or boondi.
- In Bengal and Odisha, leaving books at the goddess’s feet for the day and not studying until they are taken back.
- Flying kites in Punjab and parts of north India.
How the date is fixed
Vasant Panchami is Magha Shukla Panchami, the fifth lunar day of the bright half of Magha. Because a tithi does not line up neatly with a calendar day, our calendar checks whether Panchami is present during purvahna, the part of the day from sunrise to midday, when Saraswati Puja is traditionally done. The day on which Panchami touches that window is chosen; if it does so on two consecutive days, the first is taken.
Where practice differs
In West Bengal, Odisha, Assam and Tripura the day is observed mainly as Saraswati Puja, with images of the goddess in homes, schools and neighbourhood pandals. In Punjab it is Basant, known for kite flying and yellow clothes, and in Braj the Holi season begins with it. The bright half of a month carries the same name in both the purnimanta and amanta reckonings, so the month is Magha everywhere.
Dates and times are computed by our own engine (sunrise, tithi and kalas for New Delhi, Lahiri ayanamsa). In another city, or in an almanac of another tradition, the day can differ by one — follow your family’s tradition.
Questions people ask
Why is yellow worn on Vasant Panchami?
Yellow is the colour of the mustard fields that bloom at this time and is associated with Saraswati and with spring. Wearing yellow and offering yellow flowers and sweets is a widely followed custom.
Is Vasant Panchami the same as Saraswati Puja?
Yes, in most of north and east India the two are the same day. The festival marks the start of spring, and Saraswati is worshipped as the goddess of learning and the arts.
Is Vasant Panchami a good day to start something new?
Popular belief treats it as an abujh muhurat, a day auspicious enough for beginnings without fixing a separate muhurat. Many families start a child’s education, a housewarming or a wedding on this day.