Saraswati · सरस्वती

Saraswati is the goddess of knowledge, speech, music and the arts, worshipped by students, scholars and artists.

Saraswati is pictured dressed in white, seated on a white lotus or riding a swan, holding a veena, a book and a rosary. In the Rigveda she is a sacred river and the power of speech; later tradition honours her as the consort of Brahma and the mother of the Vedas.

Vasant Panchami is her main festival, when books, pens and instruments are placed before her; in eastern India Saraswati Puja is a major celebration in schools.