The Saptarishis
Rishi Panchami
A bow to the seven seers — the day the tradition thanks its first teachers.
Tithi: Bhadrapada Shukla Panchami
In the simplest words
A day for the seven great rishis — the ancient seers who first heard the Vedas — honoured with simple purity the day after Ganesh arrives.
The story & purpose
The day after Ganapati arrives, tradition turns to its oldest lineage: Kashyapa, Atri, Bharadvaja, Vishvamitra, Gautama, Jamadagni, and Vasishtha — the seven seers who received and carried the Veda. Their worship is a thanksgiving to the unbroken chain of teachers behind every mantra we still speak.
Women traditionally keep the vrat for purity of body and conduct, bathing with apamarga twigs and eating only uncultivated grains. Its deeper teaching is renewal: whatever the year carried, the seers' day lets one set it down and stand clean.
What is done
Saptarishi puja
Seven betel nuts or rice heaps set as the seers, worshipped with jal, chandan, and janeu.
Shuddhi snan
The traditional apamarga-datun bath at dawn.
Vrat bhojan
One meal of uncultivated grains — samvat rice, mordhan — without ploughed produce.
Guru smaran
Guru Brahma... and Saha Navavatu — the lineage saluted aloud.
Best timings
Puja in the forenoon while Panchami prevails.
Exact muhurat varies by city and tradition — for the precise hour, consult a local panchang for your location.
Worth knowing
The Saptarishis are the seven stars of the Great Bear — the tradition's teachers stand overhead every night.
In Nepal it is a national women's observance at Pashupatinath.
In 2027 the tithi compresses to share 4 Sep with Ganesh Chaturthi.
Mantras of this festival
गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णुः गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः । गुरुः साक्षात् परब्रह्म तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ॥
Guru Brahma — salutation to the teacher
Begin jaap →ॐ सह नाववतु । सह नौ भुनक्तु । सह वीर्यं करवावहै । तेजस्वि नावधीतमस्तु मा विद्विषावहै ॥
Saha Navavatu — the student's prayer
Begin jaap →ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यं भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात्
Gayatri mantra
Begin jaap →