AGARTALA, Jan 22 (TIWN): Celebrations, festive temperament have gripped the Northeast state Tripura on Monday. In Tripura, festival of Saraswati Puja is being celebrated today at homes, temples, community places, pandals and educational institutions. The festival of Saraswati Puja is one of the biggest festivals for Bengali community is largely celebrated in Bengali populated hilly state Tripura. Across schools and house to house this auspicious occasion is being celebrated with full devotion. In educational institutions students place their books in front of idols of Goddess Saraswati to seek blessings for wisdom and success in studies. Agartala School students were seen carrying the Goddess Saraswati’s idols to their school on the Saturday itself.

On this day, children are initiated into the world of learning by writing alphabets for the first time. In many pandals and educational institutions the devotional song competitions are being organized on this day. The puja in various pandals will go all the day during the festival along with cultural programmes.

Saraswati is considered the goddess of knowledge, purity, wisdom, music, arts and nature. Besides Hindus, Goddess Saraswati is also revered by believers of the Jain religion of west and central India. She is depicted as a serene and charming woman wearing a spotless white sari and seated on a white lotus or riding a white swan to embody the concepts of wisdom purity of mind and classical fine arts. According to Hindu scriptures, Goddess Saraswati represents intelligence, consciousness, cosmic knowledge, creativity, education, music, wisdom and divine knowledge.

The four hands of Goddess Saraswati depict four aspects of knowledge and values. The prose is represented by the book in one hand, poetry by the garland of crystal, and music by the veena and the pot of sacred water represents purity in all of these three.

Every year Saraswati Puja is performed on Vasant Panchami to worship Saraswati, goddess of learning and a mythological consort of Lord Brahma, according to the Hindu astrological calendar and religious beliefs. The goddess is personified as knowledge in its full grandeur. 

This tradition, followed to date, sees many schools and colleges setting up a clay idol of the Goddess Saraswati and are embellished in attractive fashion to welcome the goddesses and show their allegiance. 

Colourful pandals are also put up where devotees throng to offer their prayers and become a part of the celebration. Schoolchildren and toddlers, especially, make a beeline in their best dress to offer prayers on Saraswati puja.