Saraswati pooja and its historical significance.

 As we celebrate Dussera, there are various stories related to the festival. This festivals is linked to the Divine Shakti and the worship of the goddess and her victory over Mahishasura. It also marks the day of victory of Rama over Ravana. It is also significant in Mahabharata were the Pandavs finished their 13 years of exile and took out their arms which they had hidden  on the bidi leaf 🌳 (aptyachi pane). Thus Dussera marks the significance of worship of the arms (shastra) in hindu tradition for protecting dharma from adharma. Along with the worship of arms and Shakti the duserra also has a tradition of worshiping of Saraswati the godess of knowledge. 

A few days back one of the former minister in maharashtra questioned why we have to worship Saraswati, no one has seen her then what's the need. Duserra give us a good opportunity to clarify why Indian civilization owes all its gratitude to Saraswati.

 Saraswati the river: Saraswati River was the most important river for the harappan civilization. As the Niel was for the Egypt the Saraswati was for the people of dholavira harappan and the Rigvedic civilization. So important was the review for them that the oldest text in the world Rigveda has hymns dedicated to the Saraswati. It was the lifeline of the people living there and on her banks flourished the ancestors who laid the foundations of the Sanatana civilization. Infact the decline of the harappan civilization is attribute to the drying up of the river saraswati. The people on the banks of Saraswati either moved towards modern Afghanistan or Iran and others towards the Ganga belt. Post this the river Ganga gains importance of goddess or a Divine form

Saraswati the goddess: Saraswati however was not forgotten. The Saraswati then becomes goddess Saraswati as it was on her banks that the foundations of Indic civilization are laid. Thus Saraswati becomes the wife of Bhrama the creator, as knowledge and creation are interlinked. 

Such is the importance given to the Saraswati that it is still considered a flowing river and is immortalized in the seven divine rivers of the hindu philosophy. Also her importance is preserved by considering it as one of the rivers which meets the Ganaga and Yamuna at the triveni snagam, even if it actually does not flow in today's times. 

Thus Saraswati is mother of our civilization as it was on her banks that the foundations our civilization were laid. It is for this reason that we have adopted in the tradition to worship Saraswati the goddess before start of any event in memory of that river which gave us our entire knowledge system on which the civilizational template is laid.

Assuming that the minister was ignorant and had genuinely raised the question, hope this answers him why the saraswati Pooja is important at schools and colleges as Saraswati is gangotri (Source, starting out) of knowledge. 

Also the Saraswati and shastra Pooja on duessera symbolise that the Shakti and shastra have to be worshiped together for preserving the swadharma (self righteousness) among all people. 

Even if the river Saraswati is not present, may we continue to worship and benefit from the goddess Saraswati till eternity

Source: Land of seven rivers, The lost river, Rigveda and India a sacred geography.