Panchami () is the fifth day (
tithi) of the fortnight (
paksha
Paksha () refers to a fortnight or a lunar phase in a month of the Hindu lunar calendar.
Literally meaning "side", a paksha is the period either side of the '' purnima'' ( full moon day). A lunar month in the Hindu calendar has two fortnight ...
) in the
Hindu lunar calendar.
Festivals
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Naga Panchami is a Hindu festival celebrated by Hindus in most parts of
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
. It is celebrated in the
Shravana month. On this day, adherents venerate snakes.
Many offer milk and silver jewellery to cobras to protect them from all evils. They also engage in a fast. This festival is also celebrated to mark the legend of the deity
Krishna
Krishna (; Sanskrit language, Sanskrit: कृष्ण, ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God (Hinduism), Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, c ...
defeating the serpent
Kaliya
Kaliya ( IAST: Kāliya, Devanagari: कालिय), in Hindu traditions, was a venomous Nāga living in the Yamunā river, in Vṛndāvana. The water of the Yamunā for four leagues all around him boiled and bubbled with poison. No bir ...
. On this day, swings are put up in the village and people enjoy themselves. Married girls visit their parents during this occasion.
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Vasanta Panchami or
Shri Panchami is a Hindu festival celebrating
Saraswati
Saraswati (, ), also spelled as Sarasvati, is one of the principal Devi, goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the goddess of knowledge, education, learning, arts, speech, poetry, music, purification, language and culture. Together with the godde ...
, the goddess of knowledge, music, and art.
It is celebrated every year on the fifth day of the Indian month
Magha (January–February), the first day of spring. Traditionally during this festival children are taught to write their first words; Brahmins are fed; ancestor veneration (
Pitr-
tarpana
''Tarpana'' or (, , , ) is a term in the Hinduism, Vedic practice that refers to an offering made to divine entities. It refers to the act of offering as well as the substance used in the offering. ''Tilatarpana'' (, , , ) is a specific form of ...
) is performed; the god of love
Kamadeva
Kamadeva (, ), also known as Kama, Manmatha, and Madana is the Deva (Hinduism), Hindu god of Eroticism, erotic love, carnal desire, attraction, pleasure and beauty, as well as the personification of the concept of ''kāma''. He is depicted as a ...
is worshipped; and most educational institutions organise special prayer for Saraswati. The colour yellow also plays an important role in this festival, in that people usually wear yellow garments, Saraswati is worshipped dressed in yellow, and yellow sweets are consumed within the families.
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Vivaha Panchami is a Hindu festival celebrating the occasion of the wedding of
Rama
Rama (; , , ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu. In Rama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being. Also considered as the ideal man (''maryāda' ...
and
Sita
Sita (; ), also known as Siya, Jānaki and Maithili, is a Hindu goddess and the female protagonist of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. Sita is the consort of Rama, the avatar of god Vishnu, and is regarded as an avatar of goddess Lakshmi. She is t ...
. It is observed on the fifth day of the Shukla paksha or waxing phase of moon in the Margashirsha month (November – December) as per the Hindu calendar.
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Teej is a festival celebrated in India and Nepal that begins on Rishi Panchami.
References
05
Hindu calendar
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