Astrologers split Saraswati puja

By our Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, January 24: The astrologers courted the controversy first, so did the Saraswati devotees in Guwahati.  
While a number of institutions of the city, including Handique College and Cotton College, are going to hold Saraswati Puja on Sunday, some institutions, including Gauhati University, observed the puja today.
In total contrast to the Saraswati Puja today, Ganesh Chaturthi was seen being observed in a number of Ganesh temples in the city today. Normally Ganesh Chaturthi is observed a day before the Saraswati Puja.
The astrologers of the tion are divided in their calculation results on the exact span of time which Shukla Panchami, the time period when Saraswati Puja is performed, ranges this year.
One group of astrologers is of the opinion that Saraswati Puja should be performed on January 24 (Saturday). This group argues that Shukla Panchami falls from 5.20 am on January 24 to 2.36 am on January 25, and as such the puja should be performed on January 24 morning that falls well within the time span of Panchami.
The other group, however, contested this calculation with the assertion that Shukla Panchami this year ranges from 4.59 am of January 25 to 8.11 am of the same day, thus the span of time left for the puja is just three hours and 12 minutes.      
This controversy has swept the entire state as, along with the astrologers, various schools and colleges of the state are also divided in their decision on the day of the puja. While some schools in the state are ready to perform the puja on January 24, others are ready to perform it on January 25.
The split opinion on Saraswati Puja is not only among the astrologers and schools, but among some states also. While the Assam government calendar marks January 25 as the day for Saraswati Puja, West Bengal and Tripura calendars mark January 24 as the day for the puja.
When viewed from related tithis (lur days) Saraswati Puja on January 24 seems to be in sync with Ganesh Chaturthi that, as precedence goes, is held a day before Shukla Panchami or Saraswati Puja. This year Ganesh Chaturthi is on January 23, but in some Ganesh temples in Guwahati it was observed today.