2025-05-13 Tue

Goddess Saraswati, revered as the patron of KNOWLEDGE, art, and culture, holds a prominent position within the Vedic tradition. Her name is derived from the sacred River Saraswati, and her earliest mention as a goddess can be found in the Rigveda. Across time, she has retained her significance from the Vedic period to contemporary Hindu traditions. Saraswati is not only venerated in Hinduism but also in Jainism and Buddhism, where she is recognized as Vagdevi, the Goddess of Speech. In the Jainism, she is honored as the deity responsible for disseminating the teachings of the #Tirthankaras.

Goddess Saraswati is worshipped in Japan too! In Japanese culture, she is known as Benzaiten, the sole female deity among the Seven Lucky Gods of Japan, who are believed to bring fortune and JOY.

The sculpture illustrated on the stamps is crafted from white marble and embodies Goddess Saraswati, or Vagdevi of the Jain pantheon. Created between 1200 CE and 1300 CE by the Chahuhans, this exquisite artwork is currently housed in the National Museum in New Delhi, having originally been received from Bikaner, Rajasthan. The four-armed depiction of Goddess Saraswati stands elegantly on a lotus pedestal, holding a lotus, a book, a rosary, and a pot in her hands.

Stamps featuring this sculpture were issued twice, each with a face value of 25 paise. The first stamp was released on 10 January 1975 to honor the World Hindi Convention. The background of the stamp incorporates excerpts from Rigvedic hymns, the poetic works of prominent Hindi poets, as well as mathematical formulas, reflecting the growing modernization of the language. The inscription culminates with the phrase ‘VasudhaivaKutumbakam’ (The world is one family), which serves as the motto of the World Hindi Convention.

The second stamp was issued on 12 April 1975 to commemorate the World Telugu Language Conference. Accompanying the sculpture are three sayings in Telugu script: ‘Desa Bhashalandu Telugu Lessa’ (Among the nation's languages, Telugu is the best), proclaimed by Sri Krishnadevaraya, Emperor of the Vijayanagar Empire; ‘Endaro Mahanubhavulu’ (Many Great People), one of the Pancharatna Kritis composed by Tyagaraja, a revered Hindu saint and composer of Carnatic music; and ‘Panchadara kanna, Panasatonal kanna, Kammatena Kanna Telugu Minna’ (Telugu is sweeter than sugar, lovelier than the nectar of the jackfruit tree).