In the early 20th century, Basant was considered a harvest festival, celebrated to mark the end of winter.
In 2019, Basant became a controversial topic when the government of India announced that it would be replacing Ganesh Chaturthi with Basant as the country’s national festival. The move was met with widespread opposition from various political parties and religious groups. They claimed that replacing Ganesh Chaturthi with Basant would hurt Hindu sentiments and lead to an increase in communal tensions. However, supporters of the change argued that this was a way to bring unity among India’s diverse population by bringing everyone together for one common festival.
What is Basant?
Basant is an ancient Hindu spring festival that marks the beginning of spring in India. It is celebrated over five days from Purnima (full moon) in mid-February until Purnima in mid-March. This corresponds to March 21st through March 25th on our modern calendar.
Why do we celebrate Basant?
The exact origins of this spring festival are unknown, but it is believed to have been started by Lord Krishna himself thousands of years ago. According to legend, Lord Krishna taught his followers how to celebrate Basant by using flowers and coloured powders during a day-long dance party on Vasant Panchami (the fifth day of Magha). As part of their celebration, people traditionally went out into nature and collected flowers like marigolds and jasmine as well as coloured powders like red ochre and turmeric.
