Vasant Panchami is not the beginning of Vasant Ritu: Read how most wishes and posts on Saraswati Puja have this common misconception

This year, India is celebrating Vasant Panchami on 23rd January. Vasant Panchami is a Hindu festival of honouring Maa Saraswati, the deity of knowledge and wisdom. In the posts and wishes, many people on social media are mistakenly claiming that Vasant Panchami marks the change in Ritu or season. In this vein, one X user wrote, “Welcome the spring season with happiness and excitement. May the bright hues of Vasant Panchami fill your life with warmth and positivity. Cherish the wonderful renewal that nature brings.” Another one posted, “Vasant Panchami’s speciality lies in celebrating the arrival of spring (Vasant Ritu) and honouring Goddess Saraswati, the deity of knowledge, music, and arts, marked by wearing yellow.” 23rd January 2026.Today Vasant Panchami. Vasant Panchami's specialty lies in celebrating the arrival of spring (Vasant Ritu) and honoring Goddess Saraswati, the deity of knowledge, music, and arts, marked by wearing yellow.#vasantpanchami#hinduism #sajaikumar pic.twitter.com/xmrrJo8DEM— Sajai Kumar (@SajaiKumar9) January 23, 2026 Similarly, another X user wrote, “Basant Panchami (also known as Vasant Panchami or Saraswati Puja) is a beautiful Hindu festival celebrated to welcome the arrival of spring (Vasant Ritu) and to honour Goddess Saraswati, the deity of knowledge, wisdom, music, arts, and learning.” Basant Panchami (also known as Vasant Panchami or Saraswati Puja) is a beautiful Hindu festival celebrated to welcome the arrival of spring (Vasant Ritu) and to honor Goddess Saraswati, the deity of knowledge, wisdom, music, arts, and learning. pic.twitter.com/psbjPtPmVM— himanshu singh (@96hhimanshu) January 23, 2026 Another X user called Vasant Panchami as the occasion of the arrival of ‘Rituraj Vasant’ or the king of all seasons. Why is Vasant Panchami celebrated? Vasant Panchami is celebrated to mark the Prakatya or manifestation of Maa Saraswati. In her four-armed form, the deity carries a Veena, a book symbolising the Vedas and wisdom, a Jaap Mala or rosary, and a lotus. Vasant Panchami falls on the Shukla Paksha or the bright half of the lunar month of Magha. As per the Puranic texts, when Lord Brahma created the universe, the visible world existed, but it lacked sound, communication, and expression. Silence and stillness pervaded all around. Brahma was dissatisfied with this imperfection. With Lord Vishnu’s permission, Brahma sprinkled water from his kamandalu. As the water fell on the earth, it vibrated, and a divine power manifested. This power was Goddess Saraswati, who held a veena, a book, a garland, and a boon gesture in her hands. It is believed that when Maa Saraswati played the Veena, the universe gained speech. Animals, birds, humans, water, and air, all were imbued with sound and consciousness. This day was celebrated as Vasant Panchami and is celebrated as Saraswati Jayanti. In the Rig Veda, the oldest and authoritative text of the Hindu Dharma, Maa Saraswati is glorified in Mandala 6 (Suktam 61) and & 7 as “purifying water of knowledge”. The Rig Veda describes Saraswati as the best of the mothers (Ambitame), rivers (naditame), and goddesses (devitame). अम्बि॑तमे॒ नदी॑तमे॒ देवि॑तमे॒ सर॑स्वति । अ॒प्र॒श॒स्ता इ॑व स्मसि॒ प्रश॑स्तिमम्ब नस्कृधि ॥अम्बितमे नदीतमे देवितमे सरस्वति । अप्रशस्ता इव स्मसि प्रशस्तिमम्ब नस्कृधि ॥ (2.41.16) As Maa Saraswati is revered as the divine giver of knowledge and wisdom, students, teachers, writers, poets, artists, and musicians especially worship Saraswati on this auspicious day.  As Vasant Panchami comes weeks after Makar Sankranti, when the sun enters the northern hemisphere, Vasant Panchami has associations with anticipation or preparation for the arrival of Vasant Ritu, or Spring, which marks the end of winter’s chill; it does not mark the change in Ritu. Vasant Panchami is an auspicious occasion of worship of Maa Sharda (another name of Maa Saraswati, to seek the divine’s blessings for knowledge, intellect, and auspicious activities like marriage, etc. Vasant Panchami or Basant Panchami is celebrated in different forms across India. In West Bengal, and Odisha it is a major festival celebrating Saraswati Pooja in homes and educational institutions. In Rajasthan, Mathura, and Vrindavan, cultural festivals are celebrated with fervour. In Punjab, the festival is celebrated with kite flying, mustard fields, and folk songs. Vasant Panchami does not mark the arrival of Vasant Ritu In Hindu tradition, a year is divided into six Ritus: Shishir (late winter), Vasant (spring), Grishma (summer), Varsha (monsoon), Sharad (autumn), and Hemant (early winter). These Ritus are grouped into northern or Uttarayana and southern or Dakshinayana solstices. Contrary to the prevalent misconception, Vasant Panchami is not a celebration of the arrival of Vasant Ritu. This is because Vasant Panchami falls within the Shishir Ritu. Vasant Panchami falls within the month of Magha, which is a part of