Devotees should make a garland of 108 almonds.
To perform the ritual, you’ll need almonds and a statue of Goddess Saraswati seated on a raised platform, with her feet not touching the ground.
This year, Basant Panchami will be observed on Wednesday, February 14. Basant Panchami is a Hindu festival that signals the onset of spring. Usually, it falls on the 5th day of the Hindu month of Magha. The panchami tithi for Wednesday, February 14 will begin at 2:41 pm on February 13 and end at 12:09 pm on February 14. This ritual holds significant importance as a favourable day for weddings.
Basant Panchami is a special day for Hindus when they worship Goddess Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge. This day is important because it marks the completion of 14 out of the 16 rites in the Hindu religious calendar. If someone is facing difficulties in their marriage, they believe that seeking blessings from Goddess Saraswati can help. To perform this ritual, you’ll need almonds and a statue of the goddess seated on a raised platform, with her feet not touching the ground.
Pandit Yashovardhan Choubey, the priest at Saraswati temple in Itwara Bazar, Sagar advised making a garland of 108 almonds and offering it sincerely to the seated idol of Goddess Saraswati. After this, one should pray to Goddess Saraswati to remove obstacles. It’s believed that this ritual improves the chances of a successful marriage. Pandit Ji also noted that this practice is mentioned in the Sonak Kalp Samhita.
The almond garland remedy, as per the Samhita, is designed for wedding ceremonies to help overcome several marriage problems. These challenges include mismatched horoscopes, Nadi Dosha, lack of personal growth, family disagreements, and Pitra Dosha issues. To tackle these problems, people offer almond garlands to the Goddess Saraswati with specific requests. It’s believed this act can help resolve marriage obstacles.
Pandit Choubey shared the significance of precise timing and placement of the garland on the idol. It’s crucial to offer the garland to the Goddess before sunset. He advised against mistakenly presenting the almond garland to a standing statue.