Basant Panchami, also called Saraswati Puja in honor of the goddess Saraswati, is a festival that marks the preparation for the arrival of spring. The festival is celebrated by people in the Indian subcontinent in various ways depending on the region. Basant Panchami also marks the start of preparation for Holika and Holi, which take place forty days later.The Basant Utsava (festival) on Panchami is celebrated forty days before spring, because any season's transition period is 40 days, and after that, the season comes into full bloom.