Bhubaneswar: Goddess Saraswati, regarded as the Hindu deity of music, culture and learning, is being worshiped across Odisha with traditional pomp and gaiety today on the occasion of Saraswati Puja.<\/p>\n
Women and girls decked up in traditional bright-yellow sarees signifying Basant Panchami \u2014 heralding the arrival of spring \u2014 and men and boys in kurtas offered flowers to the deity, as families shared \u201cprasad\u201d in cities, towns and villages.<\/p>\n
It is a day of mirth for children, for whom Saraswati Puja is a \u201cno study\u201d day. Too happy to give their textbooks a miss, they participated in pujas at educational institutes.<\/p>\n
The rituals started in the morning in schools, colleges, community clubs and households, with priests chanting mantras.<\/p>\n
To receive the goddess\u2019 blessings, students also placed their books, pens and musical instruments near the idols of the Goddess Saraswati.<\/p>\n
One of the highlights of Saraswati Puja is the tradition of initiating young children into the world of learning. It is considered auspicious for children to begin their education on this day. Many parents organize special ceremonies known as \u201cAksharabhyasam,\u201d where children are introduced to reading and writing under the guidance of a teacher or a priest.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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