Spring: Season Of Rebirth

Dixya Poudel

After the cold, dreary days of winter, the weather is starting to become pleasant as spring season nears. Particularly in Nepal, spring season is heralded with Basanta Panchami also known as Saraswati Puja. Basanta translates to spring in Nepali and Basanta Panchami falls on the month of Magh. The festival holds religious, cultural and traditional significance and like each year, this year too devotees throughout the nation offered prayers to the deities on the occasion of Basanta Panchami.

Nepal sees six major seasons that fall one after the other throughout the year. These seasons are basanta (spring), grishma (summer), barsha (monsoon), sharad (autumn), hemanta (pre-winter) and sishir (winter). Basanta (spring) heralds the beginning of a season that sees growth of flora and fauna, a pleasantly warm temperature, and mostly clear skies. Coinciding with Basanta Panchami is Saraswati Puja in which Goddess of education, Saraswati is worshipped. Students are seen adorning statues and pictures of Goddess Saraswati with tika and garlands. 

Educational institutes organise cultural events to observe this festival. Students participate in such events with songs and dances and even recitals of poetry. Hindus widely consider books to be sacred and they believe that worshipping books along with Goddess Saraswati brings in auspicious wisdom and knowledge. Ardent believers visit temples to appease the Goddess of education to enhance their learning.

It is during Basanta Panchami that people in Nepal wear yellow attire as it signifies the vibrancy of nature. Yellow is certainly a cheery colour that corresponds to the brightness of the incoming spring season. In villages in Nepal, farmers harvest crops and prepare the land for the next planting season. With agricultural activities such as seed sowing, irrigation and maintenance of the land, the advent of spring in Nepal holds a special significance. More importantly, this season heralds one of the best weathers in Nepal. Tourism soars in spring as international and national tourists trek hills and mountains for sightseeing.

The majestic mountains, hills, meandering rivers, glowing lakes, budding flowers such as rhododendron (which is the national flower of Nepal) and so on offer a mesmerising sight to the sore eyes. In tourists’ hub such as Pokhara, tourists are seen paragliding in the sky that is bright blue and clear with occasional fluffy clouds. As the Annapurna Himalayan range reflects in the Fewa Lake in Pokhara, the sight is certainly magnificent. This tourist’s season provides employment for many Nepalis who are in the tourism sector. 

Spring represents rebirth and renewal. Like the cycle of birth and death which is a testament to the order of the universe, there is renewal of the natural world after the dreariness of winter. With the advent of spring, one can hope for better weather, blooming of flowers and sprouting of leaves which were bare in winter. And spring is an essential part of human world wherein there is a significant blooming of human spirit as well. Certainly, spring season brings forth feelings of rejuvenation and replenishment after months of cold weather that had dulled the vitality of the body.