Saraswati is a Hindu goddess who governs the realms of education, knowledge, music, and other arts. She is considered to be both the daughter and wife of the god Brahma, the creator of the universe. Some Hindu goddesses are worshiped together with their male consorts (companions), who balance their feminine energy. However, Saraswati usually is worshiped alone. Her husband, Brahma, has only a small role in popular Hindu practice.
Images of Saraswati show her as a beautiful, serene woman. She often is seated on a white lotus and wearing an elegant, yet simple, white sari. A sari is a long cloth draped around the body as a dress. Saraswati’s modest clothing suggests her preference for the spiritual over the material. Images often show Saraswati accompanied by a white swan or a peacock. In her four hands, Saraswati holds objects associated with aspects of her divinity. Her most distinctive possession is a stringed instrument called a veena or vina. Saraswati also holds a book, ordinarily understood to contain the Vedas , a collection of ancient Hindu wisdom. In addition, she holds prayer beads that represent spirituality. Saraswati usually is pictured near a body of flowing water. She is associated with the Saraswati (also spelled Sarasvati) river, a legendary sacred river in northwestern India .
Because of her influence over the arts and knowledge, Saraswati is especially important to students. She often is honored at school festivals, and students pray to her before examinations. Hindus often perform rituals involving Saraswati at the start of an academic year. They place books, other school supplies, and musical instruments before the goddess’s image and ask her to bless them.
