Saraswati Day

Today is Saraswati Day, the very last day of the Balinese Pawukon calendar, being the Saturday of its last week, Watugunung. Dewi Saraswati is generally referred to as Goddess of 'Science & Knowledge'. Dewi Saraswati is the female counterpart of Dewa Brahma, the manifestation of the Almighty Infinite Spirit as the Creator. Nowadays the Knowledge/Science symbolized by Saraswati is generally interpreted as pure secular, scientific knowledge; at libraries offerings are made for books and other important written materials, such as the lontar palm-leaf manuscripts; books and (written) language are seen as the vessels of secular, scientific knowledge. At the schools and universities the students pray for success with their studies. During Saraswati Day it is not allowed to read, which can be compared with a ‘one minute silence’, in honor of the ‘gift’ of books and language which enables mankind to pass on the scientific knowledge that leads to secular success.