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Why Basant Panchami Still Matters

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Why Basant Panchami Still Matters

Kamlesh Tripathi

    Observed on the fifth day of the bright fortnight of the lunar month of Magha, usually in late January or early February, Basant Panchami anticipates spring nearly forty days before its official arrival. Traditional belief holds that seasons do not change overnight; rather, they unfold gradually. The festival, therefore, acts as a harbinger to spring, often called the ‘King of Seasons,’ symbolising hope, vitality, and regeneration after winter’s inertia.

    In an age dominated by speed and spectacle, the festival of Basant Panchami arrives discreetly, with lasting effects. It is also celebrated as Saraswati Puja. It serves as a benchmark for values that remain essential, for learning and creativity. Celebrated across the length and breadth of India, the festival announces the advent of spring while venerating Goddess Saraswati, the embodiment of knowledge, wisdom, music, and arts.

    Basant Panchami marks the turning point of the season. In northern India, the winter still lingers on, while central and western regions begin to experience a softer, spring-like weather. The festival captures this vivid moment of transition. This is when nature moves from dormancy toward growth, mirroring the human journey from inertia to wilful action.

    The prominence of yellow during Basant Panchami is deeply symbolic. Associated with Goddess Saraswati, the colour represents knowledge, clarity, and creativity. It also reflects the mustard fields that bloom across much of northern and central India during this time. The custom of wearing yellow and preparing yellow-coloured food expresses collective optimism and intellectual resumption.

    Education lies at the heart of Basant Panchami. Families traditionally encourage children to write their first letters on this day, marking the beginning of their learning. Music, learning, and artistic pursuits are considered auspicious during the festival. It reaffirms Goddess Saraswati’s central position in cultural consciousness, underscoring the belief that knowledge is both sacred and transformational.

    The fever of kite flying, especially popular in the north and west of India, adds to the festive celebrations of the day. Skies filled with colourful kites speak of the collective joy and shared celebration. It reminds communities of the simple pleasures that accompany the change of season.

    Mythology lends further fillip to the occasion. In several traditions, Basant Panchami is associated with Kamadeva, the god of love, and his consort Rati. The well-known episode of Kamadeva awakening Lord Shiva from deep meditation highlights the central philosophical theme, the tug-of-war between desire and discipline. Once, when Shiva’s third eye reduced Kamadeva to ashes at Umananda Islet in the River Brahmaputra at Guwahati, it highlighted the destructive potential of unchecked desire. Kamadeva’s revival later, following Shiva’s marriage to Parvati, represents the restoration of balance between worldly engagement and spiritual life-lessons. The lesson remains strikingly relevant in contemporary life.

    The festival is not only celebrated in the sub-continent of India but also in Nepal, Bali, Indonesia, and other continents of the world with a Hindu diaspora, thus transcending geography and religious boundaries. At its core, the festival reminds us that the renewal of seasons, ideas, and values requires patience, balance, and reverence for knowledge. In a rapidly changing world, this message remains as vital as ever.

    Basant Panchami also carries a historical significance beyond Hindu traditions, as Maharaja Ranjit Singh encouraged its observance as a day of social gathering within Sikh communities, particularly in gurdwaras. The day additionally commemorates the martyrdom of Haqiqat Rai, who was executed in 1741 for refusing religious conversion. His remembrance adds a solemn note to the festival.

Written and posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

Author, Poet, & Columnist

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https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life-threatening diseases, especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers, including children and adults, and have a huge variety of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate to the cause of cancer? The bank details are given below:

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POEM: I WANT MORE (DIL MANGE MORE)

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POEM: I WANT MORE (DIL MANGE MORE)

–A man is never satisfied with what he has. He always wants more. But what is the limit for that more?
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I have enough,

Yet, I want more,

Since enough doesn’t prescribe a limit,

I wish to have more.

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More and enough are two of a kind,

They are mutually inclusive,

They work in tandem,

To fulfil your greedy aspirations.

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Enough doesn’t remain adequate,

More doesn’t become surplus,

Because greed expands,

And together they consume mankind.

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The baskets and trolleys in the malls,

The stock-keeping units and the brands,

The war cry of enough and more,

The floors and the expanse of the malls,

The queues and the billing counters,

They all expand with the burgeoning footfalls.

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One enters the supermarket as if a pauper,

And comes out like a king,

After consuming a range of food dishes,

And buying a range of things.

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Between enough and more,

There is a bridge of uncertainty,

That convinces the human mind,

To keep stocking till eternity.

There is no limit to wanting more,

But the idea of life is to enjoy,

The grace of satisfaction,

Which comes when you have enough,

And you don’t want more.

The gap between enough and more,

Is a thin line called satisfaction?

So, let satisfaction be your motto of life,

And do away with the idea of I want more.

–There is no limit to the mind wanting (mange) more. Come out of that mindset, as it only leads to disaster—

kamleshsujata@yahoo.com

2.5.25

Written and posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

Author, Poet, & Columnist

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https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life-threatening diseases, especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers, including children and adults, and have a huge variety of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate to the cause of cancer? The bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

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Pakistan: An Atrocious Copy-Paste Master … by Kamlesh Tripathi

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Operation Sindoor was launched on 7 May 2025, in retaliation for the brutal terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on 22 April, in which 26 civilian tourists lost their lives.

    Pakistan is an atrocious copy-paste master. After having lost the plot, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif implemented several measures to create a false image among the Pakistani public that they had emerged victorious. This, despite their Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) having called his Indian counterpart to request a cessation of hostilities.

    After the temporary suspension of armed hostilities, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Adampur air base in Punjab on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, to boost the morale of the armed forces. Modi’s visit came just days after Indian armed forces executed Operation Sindoor with clinical precision. Air Force Station, Adampur, was one of the active bases during the mission. PM Modi was welcomed with chants of “Bharat Mata ki Jai” and “Vande Mataram,” as air warriors and soldiers celebrated the operation’s success. Copying the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s move, Shehbaz Sharif also decided to visit the forces. However, lacking the courage to do so effectively, he merely stood on a tank to address them. He was widely ridiculed and trolled for this: Khet mein tank, jeet ka prank.

    The Government of India formed seven all-party parliamentary delegations to visit various countries as part of a strategic diplomatic outreach, aiming to garner international support and convey India’s stance: that India is a peace-loving nation suffering from terrorism originating in Pakistan. As expected, Pakistan mimicked this move too, sending a delegation under Bilawal Bhutto abroad to falsely portray Pakistan as a victim rather than a perpetrator of terrorism.

    But this act of imitating India isn’t new for Pakistan. It began with Mohammad Ali Jinnah himself. In his piece ‘Ranade, Gandhi and Jinnah’, Dr B. R. Ambedkar describes Gandhi and Jinnah, noting that Jinnah and the Muslim League copied Gandhi and the Congress even before India’s independence. The Qaid-i-Azam of Pakistan simply followed Gandhi’s lead. The politics between these two iconic figures became a contest of one-upmanship from Jinnah’s end. If Gandhi was the Mahatma, Jinnah had to be Qaid-i-Azam. Pakistan has always believed in copying India, a pattern visible even during Jinnah’s lifetime. Jinnah didn’t innovate; he imitated Gandhi.

    Politics in the hands of these two great leaders turned into a competition of extravagance. If Gandhi was known as the Mahatma, Jinnah insisted on being known as Qaid-i-Azam. If Gandhi had the Congress Party, Jinnah ensured the existence of the Muslim League. If the Congress had a Working Committee and an All India Congress Committee, the Muslim League had to have its own Working Committee and Council. A session of the Congress was inevitably followed by one of the Muslim League.

    If the Congress issued a political statement, the Muslim League had to issue one too. If the Congress passed a resolution of 17,000 words, the Muslim League’s resolution had to be at least 1,000 words longer. If the Congress President held a press conference, the Muslim League President followed suit. If the Congress addressed the United Nations, the Muslim League made sure not to be outdone.

    Gandhi insisted Jinnah admit he was one of the Muslim leaders; Jinnah insisted Gandhi admit he was a Hindu. This dynamic is clearly depicted in Ambedkar’s piece, ‘Ranade, Gandhi and Jinnah’.

    During the partition, Jinnah and the Muslim League imitated Gandhi and the Congress Party. This could have been a great moment for the Congress to reflect, mock, and point out Pakistan’s persistent habit of mimicry, showing that the mindset of Jinnah and the Muslim League carried on into the Pakistani state post-partition and portraying Congress as the lynchpin of India.

Instead, the Congress began mimicking Pakistan—and in doing so, fell from grace. Big opportunity lost.

Written and posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

Author, Poet, & Columnist

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https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life-threatening diseases, especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers, including children and adults, and have a huge variety of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate to the cause of cancer? The bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

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Let Your Life Be Like Music

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World Music Day, also known as Fête de la Musique, celebrates the beauty and diversity of music. Sangeet transcends boundaries, cultures, and genres. People worldwide embrace music and its profound impact on their lives.     In his essay Music at Night, Aldous Huxley rightly said, “After silence, which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.” Music is to the soul what words are to the mind. Everything in the universe has a rhythm; everything dances.

Science has proven that rhythmic tones diminish the feral instincts not only in humans but also in animals.     Rangers at Kruger National Park in South Africa play instruments to tranquilise rogue elephants. Urdu poet Naubat Rai ‘Nazar’ wrote, “Pathar ke seene mein bhi dil ubhar aata hai/ Iss qadar asar hota hai mausiki ka” – Heart appears even in a stone/This is how music impacts.   The Arabic word mausiqi became music in English.

The universal language of symphonic serenity, which the cosmos uses to express itself, has neither geographical barriers nor requires learning a new language to appreciate. One only needs ears to appreciate nature’s soulful cadences. “Kaanon mein jo shahad ghol de/Pahunchaye jo dil ko sukoon/ Usi ko naam diya hai mausiqi ka” — What pours honey into the years/ Gives solace to the heart/ That’s what we call music.    

Don’t we say in English that it’s mellifluous to our ears? Anything with the power and quality to transport us to an ethereal realm is tuneful. Listen to Chopin’s classical piano masterpieces, Yehudi Menuhin and Niccolo Paganini’s gossamer creations on a violin or Beethoven’s most famous compositions, including Symphony No 5 in C Minor, you’re bound to say, ‘Agar firdaus var roo e zameenast/Hameenst, Hameenst, Hameenst – if there’s heaven elsewhere on earth/ It’s here, here and here.     Tuneful soulfulness also has a therapeutic impact on the human mind.

Many prisons in the Western world have a specific room where prisoners can go and listen to symphonies because rhythms can curb criminal tendencies. In other words, music has a humanising quality. It makes us human and humane. Tunes and tenors are also cathartic. That’s the reason heartbroken people listen to sad songs and ghazals. They feel better after that because sangeet purifies from within and is heart-cleansing. To quote Mirza Ghalib, “Rone se aur ishq mein bebaak ho gaye/ Dhoye gaye hum aise ke bas paak ho gaye” — I felt more liberated in love/Once I shed tears and became sanctified. Let’s listen to soothing music in these times of utter cacophony and merge ourselves into the Elysian bliss because Life is for living/ Death is for the dead. Let life be like music/ And death a note unsaid. Remember, some people have lives; others have musical notes as boon companions. Doesn’t it sound like an ethereal symphony to your ears? June 21 is World Music Day ***

(SPEAKING TREE TIMES OF INDIA, JUNE 21, 2025, “LET YOUR LIFE BE LIKE MUSIC” BY SUMIT PAUL, JUNE 21 IS WORLD MUSIC DAY )   

Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

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SHORT STORY: LIFE LESSONS

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    Once upon a time, during India’s partition, three refugees landed in a city. They had walked for many miles over the past few days and were tired and hungry. They were looking for alms as they had no money to buy food.

    As tired souls, they went around the streets, markets and even the nearby colonies, but no one provided them with either money or food. Tired, they filled their stomach with some tap water, after which they crossed the road and entered a park to rest under a tree.

    They hadn’t adequately befriended themselves, even when they were together for the last couple of days because their focus was purely on food and shelter as they were tired, hungry and even sick. For them, fleeing persecution, organizing food, water, shelter, and survival was of immediate consequence during the days that they had been together, and not so much befriending themselves.

    Their hunger was now reaching a burst point. Luckily a group of people from a charitable organisation came to their rescue, having realised they were refugees. They gave them a dozen bananas each. Upon receiving the bananas, they were thrilled. They started jumping in joy as if they had recovered their lost fortune.

    Soon, the first refugee, who appeared to be the most hungry, ate all his twelve bananas in a go and burped loudly, and then decided to rest.

    The second refugee, ate six and kept the balance six close to his chest and decided to take some rest.

    The third refugee, after eating six got up with the remaining six in his hand. He told his comrades that he was going to the nearby market and would return soon.

    The first refugee who had eaten all his bananas was rather puzzled at this banana-behaviour of the balance two refugees. As hitherto, they were cribbing, they were ravenous, but when they got bananas to eat, they wouldn’t finish it. And by now, about half-an-hour had passed when he saw the third refugee at a distance, walking towards him, without bananas in his hand. Upon seeing the third refugee without bananas, the number one refugee got a little suspicious. He couldn’t resist, and without waiting for the third refugee to arrive, he suddenly asked the second one.

   ‘Hello, comrade! You were so hungry, but you didn’t finish all the bananas. Why are you keeping these six bananas with you?’

    The second refugee replied, ‘I have kept it for the evening. For who knows in this unknown city you might not get any charity again, so as a precaution I have kept it for my dinner.’

    ‘And what about you? You had gone to the market with six bananas, but now you have none with you.’ The first refugee asked the third refugee who had arrived by then.

    ‘Well … well, I ate six and sold six, and now I have money to buy two meals.’ Replied the third refugee.

    The parable conveys a smart worldly message. The first refugee ate all the bananas in one go, thinking some Good Samaritan or God would not let him go hungry. The second refugee showed a streak of saving and cautiousness for the rainy day, so he ate six and kept six for dinner, but the third refugee had that entrepreneurial drive in him, so he ate six and sold six.

    Introspect, who made the wise decision under the circumstances, and what would you have done under such trying conditions?

Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life-threatening diseases, especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers, including children and adults, and have a huge variety of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate to the cause of cancer? The bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

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