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Vasant Panchami is a Hindu festival that commemorates the birth of Saraswati, the Hindu Goddess of education, music, arts, wisdom, and learning. It is also known as Shri Panchami and Saraswati Puja in West Bengal. Saraswati Puja is also performed during the Sharad Navratri festival, which is more prominent in South India. 

The Importance of Vasant Panchami 

Vasant Panchami is significant for worshipping Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge and wisdom, in the same way as Diwali is significant for worshipping Lakshmi, the goddess of money and prosperity, and Navratri is significant for worshipping Durga, the goddess of power and bravery; these celebrations each honour one aspect of Mother Divine. 

Goddess Saraswati is celebrated on this day during Purvahna time, which is the time before midday according to Hindu calendar. Devotees dress the deity in white clothing and flowers, as white is thought to be Goddess Saraswati’s favorite hue. Traditionally, milk and white sesame sweets are offered to Goddess Saraswati and distributed as Prasad(holy offering) to friends and family. 

Due to the profusion of blossoming mustard flowers and marigold (Genda Phool) at this time of year, yellow flowers are offered to Goddess Saraswati on the auspicious day of Vasant Panchami in north India. 

What is Vidhya Arambha, and why is it held on Vasant Panchami? 

Vidhya Arambha, the ritual of introducing young children to the world of school and formal learning, falls on Vasant Panchami. On the day of Vasant Panchami, most schools and universities hold a Saraswati Puja. Vasant is the Hindu calendar’s equivalent of spring, and one of the six Indian seasons. Vasant Panchami is a misnomer because the day has nothing to do with the Indian Vasant season. Vasant Panchami does not always occur during Vasant season. 

However, in recent years, it did fall during Vasant. Because none of the Hindu festivals are tied to seasons, Shri Panchami and Saraswati Puja are more acceptable names for the day of Vasant Panchami. 

Observance of Vasant Panchami

The following are the important ceremonies and activities that take place on Vasant Panchami: 

Saraswati Puja for children involves flying kites while dressed in white and yellow and offering mustard and marigold flowers to Goddess Saraswati Vidhya Arambha. 

Saraswati Puja is performed at schools and colleges that are starting new ventures, particularly educational institutes and colleges. 

Pitri Tarpan (offering to ancestors) for family who have passed away 

Regional Variance in Vasant Panchami 

Vasant Panchami in Brij 

Vasant Panchami ceremonies in Brij are similar to those in Mathura and Vrindavan temples. In Brij temples, the day of Vasant Panchami marks the start of Holi celebrations. Most temples are decked with yellow flowers on Vasant Panchami day. To celebrate the approach of spring, the idols are dressed in yellow costumes. 

The famous Shah Bihari temple in Vrindavan opens the Vasanti chamber for worshipers on this day. Priests in Vrindavan’s Shri Banke Bihari temple begin Holi celebrations by tossing Abeer and Gulal on devotees. Holika Dahan Pandal is dug out and a Holi Danda (a wooden stick) is installed, which will be filled with scrap wood and dried cow dung over the next 41 days for Holika Dahan rites. 

Vasant Panchami in West Bengal 

In West Bengal, Vasant Panchami is known as Saraswati Puja. Saraswati Puja, like Durga Puja, is observed with great devotion and excitement. Saraswati Puja is very popular among students. The girls wear yellow Basanti Saris and the boys wear Dhoti and Kurta, as is customary. Students and artists worship Goddess Saraswati by placing educational books, musical instruments, paintbrushes, canvas, ink pots, and bamboo quills in front of the idol.  

Anjali (offerings) is served to Goddess Saraswati in the morning in most homes. Bel leaves, marigold, Palash and Guldaudi flowers, and Sandal paste are used to worship the Goddess. 

Saraswati Puja, like Durga Puja, is a communal celebration in which people get together to create Pandals in their neighbourhoods and place the idol of Goddess Saraswati. To please and obtain the graces of the Goddess of wisdom and knowledge, instrumental music is traditionally played. 

Kul (jujube fruit, also known as Ber in North India), apples, dates, and bananas are offered to Goddess Saraswati as Naivedhya (offerings) and thereafter distributed to worshippers. Despite the fact that the Kul fruit is available in the market well before the festival, many people do not begin eating it until the day of Magha Panchami, when the fruit is dedicated to Goddess Saraswati. On this day, most people look forward to eating the Kul fruit. Topa Kul Chutney, along with Khichuri and Lubra, is a special meal served on Saraswati Puja day. 

On this day, in addition to Saraswati Puja, Hate Khori, or the ritual of learning Bengali alphabets, is held, which is called as Vidhya Arambha in other states. 

The idol of Goddess Saraswati is transported out of homes or Pandals in the evening and immersed in a water body in a grand procession. The idol is usually submerged on the third day, but many people do it on the day of Saraswati Puja. 

Vasant Panchami is pronounced Basant Panchami in Punjab and Haryana. The ceremonies of Basant Panchami have nothing to do with worship. However, this does not diminish the significance of the occasion, since the day is celebrated by a variety of fun and frolic activities to celebrate the entrance of Basant, the spring season. 

Flying kites is quite popular on this day. The event is open to both men and women. The sport is so popular that demand for kites skyrockets right before Basant Panchami, and kite producers are extremely busy throughout the festival. The bright blue sky is filled with countless kites of various colours, shapes, and sizes on the day of Basant Panchami. It should be mentioned that kite flying is more popular during Makar Sankranti in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. The schoolgirls indulge in kite flying activities while dressed in traditional Punjabi clothes known as Giddha. 

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According to estimates from Wetlands International South Asia, about 30% of India’s natural wetlands have been lost in the previous three decades due to illegal construction, unsustainable urbanization, agricultural development, and pollution. 

Chennai has lost 90% of its wetlands due to uncontrolled urbanization, leaving the city with water security and environmental degradation challenges. Between 2005 and 2018, Vadodara lost 30.5 percent of its wetlands. Ineffective waste management, growing pollution, and unchecked urban development contributed to the loss of 55% of Hyderabad’s wetlands. 

Mumbai lost 71% of its wetlands, Ahmedabad 57%, Bengaluru 56%, Pune 37%, and Delhi-National Capital Region 38%, owing primarily to building and pollution-induced eutrophication. 

This widespread loss can be attributed to a lack of awareness and knowledge of wetlands and their ecosystem functions, in addition to urbanization needs. 

In January 2021, the National Mission for Clean Ganga developed a toolbox for managing wetlands and water bodies in urban areas, as well as researching the issues raised by rising urbanization. 

Later, on the last World Wetland Day, the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti started a huge scientific and community-based campaign to generate health cards and manage 10 wetlands in each of Ganga’s 50-plus districts (water resources). 

In June, the Delhi Development Authority issued a public consultation on Master Plan Delhi 2041 (MPD 2041), which aims to safeguard and develop an interconnected network of ‘green and blue assets’ in Delhi in order to preserve the capital’s biodiversity and microclimate. 

The strategy also included ideas for improving public access to nature. Residents and stakeholders are encouraged to participate in the protection and enhancement of green-blue assets in order to foster community ownership. 

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has already submitted the proposal for approval to the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, and it is nearing completion. 

All of these are positive developments for India’s urban planning policy. 

Gearing up for urbanization: How to safeguard India’s wetlands 

Because urbanization is only going to get worse, the country’s wetlands must be protected as soon as possible. Since its inception in India in 1982, the Ramsar Convention, which protects 42 wetlands, has aided some significant locations. However, conservation efforts have largely focused on the notified Ramsar areas, ignoring a number of additional important urban wetlands. 

The Cities4Forests global movement, which works directly with cities all over the world to connect them to forests, emphasizes the importance of wetlands and their various benefits in helping cities resist climate change and maintain biodiversity. 

Wetlands provide a wide range of vital resources and ecosystem services, including food, water, fibre, groundwater recharge, water purification, flood mitigation, storm protection, erosion management, carbon storage, and climate regulation, among others. 

Ways to Improve Urban Wetland Management in India 

The current urgent need is to incorporate wetlands ecological services and biodiversity into our development plans and urban planning procedures, including climate change mitigation. 

Wetlands provide numerous advantages and services that are critical to achieving the ambitious agenda of developing resilient cities to fulfil our sustainable development goals while allowing for further development and poverty eradication. Mega urban plans such as the Smart Cities Mission and the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation must include features of wetlands management that are sustainable. Due to a policy vacuum, cities are unable to meet water demand. There is no well-defined ‘National Urban Water Policy’ to govern urban water management. 

Damming and water abstraction have a significant influence on wetlands: the Keoladeo Ghana Sanctuary, Loktak Lake, Chilika Lake, and Vembanad Kole are all badly impacted by dams that affect water and silt flows. More scientific data, images, maps, and other relevant tools are also needed to understand the state of wetlands. 

From 2006 to 2011, the Indian Space Research Organisation used remote sensing satellites to scan over two lakh wetlands in India for the National Wetland Inventory and Assessment. The states, on the other hand, have made little effort in designating wetlands. 

There is also a need for more stringent regulation enforcement. Because regulatory authorities like the Central Wetland Regulatory Authority only have advisory powers, the National Plan for the Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems and the Wetlands Conservation and Management Rules, 2017 (revised in 2020), have had limited influence. 

Furthermore, existing rules utterly disregard the involvement of local populations in the governance and monitoring of wetlands. According to Ramveer Tanwar, who regenerated over 20 ponds and lakes in and around Noida, awareness is the first step toward protection. Tanwar’s team begins with awareness campaigns in chosen locations, encouraging residents to join with their time and money, while raising the remaining funds from private firms (costs vary between Rs 3-5 lakh per acre of wetland area). 

They employed a five-step wetland restoration method. Hyacinth and rubbish are removed from the water first. The water body is then separated into sections based on its size, with water being drained from each section. They let the bottom dry fully before excavating it if necessary. 

A path for plants is built around the region, and then water is reintroduced, rejuvenating the waterbody. 

Scalability and replicability can also be investigated in a number of other small-scale undertakings. 

Narayan Choudhary’s Talab Bachao Abhiyan has mobilised communities in the Mithilanchal region (north Bihar) throughout the years. The campaign raised awareness about pond encroachment and pollution and urged the government to act. 

Since 2017, Shweta Hule’s ‘Swamini’ self-help group of ten women has organised a’mangrove safari’ for tourists in Sindhudurg’s Mandavi creek. This has been recognised as a paradigm for ecotourism-based community conservation. 

The state forest department is working to replicate their model in other regions of Maharashtra’s coastal region. 

A strong policy can be established to alter the country’s wetlands conditions based on local experiences and skills. Plans like MPD 2041, which focus on water bodies and the land surrounding them, are the urban planning plans of the future. The ‘green-blue policy,’ in which water bodies and land are interdependent and grow with each other while providing environmental and social advantages, is referred as such. 

However, the DDA seeks different stakeholders for this project, including the Delhi Jal Board, the flood and irrigation department, and municipal corporations. This will be a difficult undertaking, especially as it has no supervisory authority over these bodies. 

ISRO’s Space Applications Centre (SAC) in Ahmedabad and ICAR’s Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (ICAR-CMFRI) in Kochi will work together to locate and demarcate wetlands smaller than 2.25 hectares along India’s coastline. To create resilience against the impact of climate change, they will conserve water bodies through “coastal livelihood programmes.” 

The toolkit’s creation will also assist urban local governments, city administrators, urban planners, and other stakeholders to handle water management concerns by taking comprehensive and integrated action on the ground. 

Such smart and new approaches, as well as more space for people to participate in the management and decision-making of their wetlands, are critical for India to construct a climate resilient future. 

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February 1, 2022 marks the 46th Raising Day of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG). So, let’s learn everything there is to know about coast guard officer ranks. 

The Indian Coast Guard was originally constituted on February 1, 1977, by the Indian Parliament‘s Coast Guard Act, 1978. It is controlled by the Ministry of Defense. 

ICG began with just seven surface platforms in 1978 and now has 156 ships and 62 aircraft in its fleet. By 2025, it is expected to reach its target force levels of 200 surface platforms and 80 aircraft. 

Ranks in the Coast Guard 

Officer levels in the Coast Guard are named the same as those in the Central Armed Police Forces. 

The four branches in the Indian Coast Guard are general duty, pilot officer, technical officer, and law officer. 

General-Duty Officers and Pilot Officers are two types of positions females can occupy onshore, based in establishments, air stations, and headquarters. They are not posted on marine vessels. 

Officers of the Indian Coast Guard are now undergoing Basic Military Training at the Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala, alongside their Indian Navy counterparts. 

This facilitates exchange of officers between the two entities. The Indian Coast Guard Academy is being built in Mangalore, Karnataka. 

Let us explore these positions within the Indian Coast Guard more deeply. 

General Duty Officers 

Officers of the General-Duty (GD) branch are the only ones who can command ships at sea. 

A General-Duty Officer’s main responsibilities would be to operate guns, sensors, and various types of technology on board of a ship. 

The GD officers would be in charge of the ship’s and men’s safety. A GD Officer of the Indian Coast Guard exercises all District Commanders (COMDIS) and Commander of Coast Guard Region (COMCG) posts. 

Pilots 

The GD branch also includes pilot officers. A Pilot Officer can work at shore air stations throughout the Indian coasts, as well as embark ships. 

Fixed-wing aircraft are used by ICG to monitor the Exclusive Economic Zone. 

Helicopters are often stationed on Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) to offer local surveillance and conduct search and rescue missions at sea. 

Officers in Charge of Technology 

Technical Officers are in charge of modern technology and sensor systems on board Coast Guard boats and planes, as well as on land. 

They are also in charge of the force’s maintenance wings. 

Officers of the law 

Law Officers advise their respective commanders on legal matters. They represent the Indian Coast Guard in legal proceedings brought by or against it. 

They also serve as trial law officers in Coast Guard courts that hear cases involving delinquent Coast Guard personnel. 

The Chief Law Officer is the Directorate of Law of Coast Guard Headquarters, which is led by a Deputy Inspector-General. 

The qualifications for being appointed as the Chief Law Officer of the Indian Coast Guard are outlined in Section 115 of the Coast Guard Act of 1978. The Chief Law Officer’s duties are defined in Section 116 of the Coast Guard Act of 1978. 

Personnel Enrolled 

The Coast Guard has two types of enlisted personnel: yantriks (technicians) and naviks (sailor). 

On board Coast Guard vessels and aircraft, Yantriks oversee operating and repairing mechanical, electrical, and aeronautical equipment and systems. 

Naviks can also work in the General-Duty or Domestic branches of the military. The General-Duty naviks work as sailors, weapons system operators, communication specialists, divers, and other maritime and aviation support personnel. On board Coast Guard boats, domestic branch naviks work as stewards, cooks, and other positions. 

At the naval training complex INS Chilka, enlisted troops of the Indian Coast Guard are trained alongside Indian Naval sailors. 

All training received by Coast Guard personnel is identical to that received by Indian Navy sailors. 

In the event of an emergency, all workers are trained to operate weapons systems. 

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What is the origin of the Diwali Festival?

Also known as the Festival of Lights, Diwali does not have the same story across regions of India. In the north, we celebrate the return of King Rama, an incarnation of the God Vishnu, to his kingdom, Ayodhya, after a fourteen-year exile. In the South, a different story is associated with the festival: According to legend, Narakasura, a demon king, tormented people for a long time until the day when the God Krishna, an incarnation of Vishnu, killed him. The people celebrated the demon king’s defeat and since then the custom has continued. Regardless of the origin of Diwali, Hindus share the idea of celebrating the victory of good over evil, of light over darkness.

How do Indians celebrate Diwali?

Wherever you are in India, prepare yourselves for a splendid day and night – cities are lit up, firecrackers and fireworks are ringing everywhere, paper lanterns brighten the streets, and every household is looking at its best.

The festivities are traditionally spread over 5 days. While traditions and customs differ from region to region, here are some interesting facts:

The 1st day, Dhanteras, is devoted to the preparations. The houses are cleaned, tidied, and illuminated to please Lakshmi, the Goddess governing emotions and refinement, who comes to visit her devotees. People buy new utensils, objects, or jewelry as it is believed that the Goddess will enter homes in the form of new things.

On the 2nd day, Chhoti Diwali, the victory of Shri Krishna over the demon Narakasura is celebrated, which symbolizes the triumph of good over evil. The legend says that Krishna, after killing the demon, took a bath to purify himself. Some Hindu families follow the ritual of taking a bath with natural oils that day before sunrise.

On the 3rd day, Diwali, the festival is at its peak: Mother Lakshmi is celebrated; new clothes are worn, and people adorn themselves with new jewelry. Oil lamps are lit around and inside homes, as well as in the streets. Gifts are exchanged to strengthen bonds with family and friends.

The 4th day, Annakut, is the day of abundance: food is distributed, and offerings are made to the Gods. In temples dedicated to Krishna, the deity is given a ritual milk bath and adorned with his most beautiful clothes and jewelry.

On the 5th day, Bhai Dooj, worship ceremonies, commonly called pujas, are the focal point. This day is also dedicated to siblings. The sisters apply a tilak (a red mark) to their brother’s forehead and pray for a prosperous life, while the brothers bless their sisters with gifts.

Some particularities of Diwali in South India

Firstly, the Southern States celebrate this holiday always one day before the Northern States, and it usually only lasts 4 days. These differences can be explained by divergent beliefs about the origin of Diwali.

The 3rd day of the festival is considered the last of the year, according to the Hindu Vikram calendar used in northern India. And so, the next day is the start of the Hindu New Year. But this is not the case in South India, because another calendar is used, that of Shalivahana.

In Tamil Nadu, on Diwali Day, the oldest family member applies sesame oil on the heads of all family members before sunrise. Then it is an oil bath for everyone, starting with the youngest in the family.

Kerala is the only state in India where Diwali is not a major festival. There are several reasons for this: first because Diwali also represents the end of the monsoons and the start of a new harvest season, but, in Kerala, the agricultural season does not start at that time, so it does not coincide. In addition, the weather is not favorable during this period and it is therefore less easy to turn on lights outdoors or start fireworks. Finally, although there are a considerable number of Hindus, there are also many Christians and Muslims in this state.

In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, the festivities take place over two days – Naraka Chaturdasi and Deepavali Amavasya. The festivities begin early in the morning. Most of the time, people are engaged in shopping and decorating their homes.

In Karnataka, the festival begins with a religious ceremony called neeru tumbo habba, during which the houses are cleaned, washed, and painted. The next day, Lakshmi puja is performed. On the fourth day, the house, especially the entrance, is decorated with flowers and floor rangolis (drawings of coloured powder or rice powder) to invite the Gods to their homes. A special entrance to the house is built, made of cow dung (gomaya) and sandalwood (siri-chandana).

The common theme of Diwali throughout India is centered around the celebration of abundance and lovingly sharing it with close ones.

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