Basant Panchami 2026 Date: When is Saraswati Puja in 2026?

Basant Panchami (Saraswati Puja) 2026 Date in India: Vasant Panchami, also known as Saraswati Jayanti or Saraswati Puja, celebrates the birth anniversary of Goddess Saraswati, a revered Hindu deity of education, wisdom, arts, music, and learning.

On the day of this auspicious festival, students seek blessings for their academic efforts, and people wear yellow clothes, decorate their homes with yellow flowers, and sing shlokas, mantras, hymns, and Saraswati Vandana.

In many parts of the country, the day is also celebrated as Saraswati Puja and also marks the arrival of spring, which is why it’s called ‘Basant Panchami‘.

It means ‘spring’ and the fifth day of the Hindu month of Magha (corresponding to January-February in the Gregorian calendar), on which the festival is held.

When is Saraswati Puja in 2026: Date and Timings

This year, Vasant Panchami will fall on Thursday, January 23, 2026, with Panchami Tithi beginning from 02:28 AM on the same day and ending at 01:46 AM on January 24, 2026.

The auspicious timing for Saraswati Puja or Vasant Panchami Muhurat is from 07:13 AM to 12:33 PM, lasting 05 hours and 20 minutes, according to Drik Panchang.

Meanwhile, the Vasant Panchami Madhyahna Moment is scheduled for 12:33 PM.

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Vasant Panchami is not a mandatory off day in India; some states do observe a holiday. (Express Photo: Shashi Ghosh)

The festival is marked by kite flying, especially in North India, while Saraswati Puja is observed in states like Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, and Assam.

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