Basant Panchami heralds the arrival of the spring season. In Southern Asia, it is celebrated by people of all religions, including Hindus, Muslims, Christians, and Sikhs.
Although the fervour and devotion with which the festival is celebrated remain the same worldwide, the traditions associated with it vary from region to region. In Pakistan, for example, Basant Panchami is celebrated as Jashn-e-Baharan.
Looking forward to welcoming this spring festival? Read on to learn more about celebrating Basant Panchami in Pakistan.
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Basant Panchami 2024 date in Pakistan
According to the Hindu calendar, Basant Panchami falls on the fifth of the ‘Magh’ month, i.e. around the Gregorian month of February. It precedes spring by forty days, as it is believed that any season takes that long to come into full bloom.
Basant Panchami, also known as Jashn-e-Baharan, will be celebrated in Pakistan on 14 January 2024.
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Basant Panchami traditional celebrations in Pakistan
Basant Panchami, or Jashn-e-Baharan, sees Pakistan welcoming spring with zeal and piety. It is customary to dress in yellow, mirroring the mustard fields that come into full bloom at the start of spring.
Kite flying is integral to the country’s Basant Panchami celebrations. The cultural capital of Lahore is a great place to witness this, where the sky is filled with brightly colored kites as people climb up to their rooftops to participate in traditional, highly-spirited kite-flying competitions. The streets, too, are filled with hundreds of kite shops set up especially for the occasion, giving the cities a festive appeal. Faisalabad, Karachi, Multan, Sialkot, Jhelum, Rawalpindi and Islamabad are also popular for their lively kite-flying events.
Cattle shows and horse and camel races are another significant part of Basant Panchami in Pakistan. They are often accompanied by handicraft fairs, tent pegging, cultural floats, and folk art performances. For example, this year, the Parks & Horticulture Authority (PHA) is hosting a Jashn-e-Baharan Mela in Rawalpindi from 18 March to 23 March. The spring gala will feature a craft exhibition, a flower show, a sports fest, various folk song competitions, and indigenous food stalls.
