India, Jan. 11 -- As India prepares to observe Basant Panchami on 23 January 2026, the festival once again marks the gentle yet transformative arrival of spring across the Indian subcontinent. Arriving in the bright fortnight of the lunar month of Magha, Basant Panchami signals the changing of seasons, when winter begins to loosen its grip and the early signs of spring become perceptible. Days lengthen almost unnoticed and the soil softens as it prepares itself for renewal after months of enduring the chill of winter. Unlike festivals that celebrate the bounties granted by nature, Basant Panchami honours its readiness to provide even more. It is a festival of beginnings and preparation rather than culminations and harvests. Accordingly th...