Basant Panchami (also written Vasant Panchami) in 2027 falls on Thursday, 11 February 2027. It is observed on the fifth day of the bright half of the Hindu month of Magha. The day is mainly devoted to Goddess Saraswati, the deity of knowledge, music and learning, and is also seen as the start of spring in much of India.
Updated October 2026 · HappyFares
If you want to be with family for Saraswati Puja, or watch spring arrive somewhere with a strong tradition, it helps to know the date early. Here is what the festival is, where it is felt most, and how to plan flights around it.
When is Basant Panchami in 2027?
Basant Panchami 2027 is on Thursday, 11 February 2027. Calendar sites such as Drik Panchang, Office Holidays and Public Holidays India list the same date, and it follows the Hindu lunar calendar, falling on Magha Shukla Panchami.
Because the festival follows the lunar calendar, the English date changes every year. For comparison, it fell on Friday, 23 January 2026, and is listed for 31 January 2028 by most calendars (check closer to the date). Always check the panchang for your own city, because the tithi (lunar day) can start and end at different clock times and some regions may mark the puja on a slightly different day.
Friday, 12 February 2027 follows the festival and the weekend is Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 February. Whether Friday is a working day depends on your employer, and the festival is a gazetted holiday only in some states, so check your own holiday list before you block dates.
What is Basant Panchami and why is it celebrated?
Basant Panchami is best known as Saraswati Puja. Devotees worship Goddess Saraswati, who is associated with learning, the arts and speech. Schools, colleges, music academies and homes often hold a puja, and many families place books, pens and musical instruments before the idol as part of the ritual.
Yellow is the colour of the day, linked to the mustard fields that flower around this time of year. People commonly wear yellow clothes and prepare yellow dishes. In some families, small children are introduced to writing on this day, a custom sometimes called Vidyarambh, though the name and the preferred date for it vary by region and community.
It also marks the seasonal turn toward spring, which is where the name comes from: Basant (or Vasant) means spring.
Where is Basant Panchami celebrated most?
The festival is observed across the country, but the flavour changes from place to place.
- West Bengal and Kolkata: Saraswati Puja is one of the big occasions of the year. Community pandals, school and college celebrations and home pujas are common.
- Bihar: Saraswati Puja is widely observed, with pandals in towns and neighbourhoods and a lively atmosphere around schools and colleges.
- Punjab and nearby areas: Basant is traditionally linked with flying kites and wearing yellow in the Punjab region, though how widely the custom is observed today varies by city.
- Elsewhere in North India: Temples hold special aarti, and many people visit a temple in yellow clothing.
If you are travelling for the atmosphere, choose a place where you have family or a clear plan to attend. Large events and temple crowds can be busy, so expect heavier local traffic around pandals and popular temples.
Can I fly around Basant Panchami, and when should I book?
Festival days that fall on a weekday often see families heading home, especially toward states where the day is a bigger occasion. Fares on popular routes tend to rise as a festival approaches, and convenient timings on busy routes tend to sell out first.
A few practical ideas:
- Fix your dates as soon as you know your leave, then book early rather than waiting for a last-minute drop.
- Compare the day before the festival and the day itself. Travelling a day earlier or later than the crowd often gives more choice.
- Set a price alert so you are told when fares on your route move.
- Think about a morning departure. If a delay happens, you still have the rest of the day to reach home for the puja.
- Check your airline’s fare family before paying. IndiGo offers Saver and Flexi Plus, Akasa offers Saver and Flexi, and Air India and Air India Express each have their own fare families, and each has different change and baggage terms.
What can I eat or prepare for the festival?
Food on this day is vegetarian and often yellow. Popular dishes include kesar halwa, sweet yellow rice (meethe chawal or zarda), kesari bhaat and khichdi. Many households also offer boondi laddoo and other sweets to the goddess as prasad before sharing them. If you are visiting a temple or a relative’s home, a box of sweets is a welcome gesture, but check your airline’s cabin baggage rules before carrying liquid or syrup-based sweets in a carry-on.
Common Questions
What is the date of Basant Panchami in 2027?
Basant Panchami 2027 is on Thursday, 11 February 2027, according to widely used Hindu calendar sources.
Is Basant Panchami the same as Saraswati Puja?
In most of India, yes. Basant Panchami is the day Goddess Saraswati is worshipped, so people often use the two names for the same occasion.
Is Basant Panchami a public holiday?
It is a holiday in some states and a restricted or optional holiday in others. Check the official holiday list of your state or employer, because it differs by region.
Why do people wear yellow on Basant Panchami?
Yellow is linked with the blooming mustard fields of the season and with spring. It is also considered a colour of the goddess, so many people wear it and prepare yellow dishes.
Which cities are best to visit for Basant Panchami?
Kolkata and other towns in West Bengal and Bihar are known for Saraswati Puja, while parts of Punjab are known for kite flying around Basant. Choose based on what you want to see and where you have family.
When should I book flights for the festival?
There is no single best day, but booking early and being flexible by a day usually gives more choice on popular routes than waiting for the last week.
Planning a trip around Basant Panchami? Search and compare flights on HappyFares, pay zero convenience fee on domestic bookings, and set a price alert so you know when your fare changes.
Festival timings, holidays, rules and fees change; please verify current specifics with the airline, the panchang for your city or the airport before you travel.
