Students share Saraswati Puja memories and their plans for the day

From wearing ethnic clothes to catching up with friends at school and tuitions, students share how they celebrate Saraswati Puja every year.

I celebrate Saraswati Puja at home by giving anjali and keeping my books at the feet of the goddess. Before the pandemic, I would also attend Saraswati Puja in school and take part in the cultural programme that include dance, music and recitation. The teachers would distribute prasad among all students. The evening would be reserved for pandal-hopping with friends, followed by a film show at the theatre. This year, I will be at home, helping with the puja preparation, and will drop in at school taking all precautions.

— Krish Kumar, a Class XI Science student of Nava Nalanda

Saraswati Puja has always been a special day for the students of Birla High School. We celebrate this day in the prayer hall. All the students and faculty members come together and it has always been a day full of fun and no studies. COVID has change all that. We will miss the fun but we are trying to celebrate the puja virtually via Facebook live.

— Kannv Dhandhania, a Class X student of Birla High School

The first thing I do on this day is offer anjali before the deity at home and seek her blessings. After that, I wear a sari and visit my school’s Basant Panchami Utsav and then the Saraswati Puja celebrations at my tuition teacher’s home. From clicking pictures with friends to participating in the preparations, this is one day we all look forward to. After returning home in the afternoon, we feast on home-cooked Khichuri and Labra. Before the pandemic, we would all assemble in school, wearing ethnic clothes, and watch the Basant Panchami programme — dance performances, songs and recitation — performed by the students. I have never participated in the programme myself but I always enjoyed watching it from the audience. At my tuition class, I would spend time with friends and we also went out together. Also, eating kul on this day is a ritual I never miss.

— Bipasha Halder, a Class XI Humanities student at The BSS School

Every year on Saraswati Puja, I look forward to meeting all my school friends even though we graduated from school long ago. We still visit our school, Lycee, and it turns out to be a little reunion. We meet all our teachers and have the super tasty bhog. Nothing can match the taste of Khichuri served in shaal patar bati. Then we all head to a restaurant for a mandatory adda session. It’s a day when we always wear a sari. Pandemic has changed a lot of things. We didn't get a chance to go back to school and meet our old friends. This year, I will attend the puja at home in the morning and spend the afternoon with my sister. I am also planning to head for the university to meet my new friends as campuses have reopened.

— Satarupa Mondal, a first-year Mass Communication and Journalism postgraduate student of Jadavpur University

I am very excited about attending Saraswati Puja in college this time. I have helped in creating the alpana and also with the preparations for the puja. We have been working for the past four days to make this a success. All of us are exhausted but excited to celebrate with our friends.

— Dipanjanli Sarkar, a second-year Law student of Calcutta University

We perform Saraswati Puja at home. The most thrilling part of the day is when I get to hang out with my friends and have lunch with them. Also, wearing an ethnic outfit is a must. We didn't celebrate the last two years but this time, preparations are on in full swing. I will go out with my friends too, taking precautions, of course. This day motivates me to study harder, especially when I see the huge pile of books at the idol’s feet that I haven’t touched the entire year.

— Souradeep Ghosh, a Class XI Science student at Garden High School