Gnana Saraswathi Temple

History and Significance of Gnana Saraswathi Temple

Basara Temple, one of the famous temples visited by most of the students from Telugu states along with devotees across the nation, is situated 200 kilometres from the capital city of Telangana, Hyderabad. Sri Gnana Saraswathi temple at Basara is dedicated to Goddess Saraswathi as Goddess of learning located on the banks of river Godavari in South India.

Let us discuss the History and Significance of this auspicious temple of Saraswathi. According to Mahabharatha one of the Sanskrit epics written by Lord Ganesha which was dictated by Vyasa, after the Kurukshetra Battle – a dynastic struggle of the throne, Maharishi Vyasa and his followers and great Sage Viswamitra agreed to settle down in a calm and peaceful atmosphere. He came to the Dandakaranya, a big forest in search of a peaceful home and, satisfied with the region’s calmness, selected this location called Basara. The Goddess Saraswathi ordered the sage to place three handfuls of sand at three places every day when he was in search of a peaceful place. Miraculously these sandhills transformed into the idols of the Goddess Saraswathi, Goddess Lakshmi and Goddess Maha Kali forming the trinity of the divine. Since Maharishi Vyasa spent plentiful time in prayer, the place was then called “Vasara” and got transformed into Basara. Goddess Saraswathi in the temple is shown and worshipped in a seated position with a Veena in her hands. A little distance from the temple is the shrine of Goddess Maha Lakshmi and Goddess Maha Kali.

This historical temple is also believed to be one of three temples built near the flow of the rivers Manjira and Godavari.

According to the historical tales “Bijialudu” a king of Karnataka, who ruled Nandagiri province in the sixth century, founded the temple at Basara. In the 17th century, after the devastation caused by Muslim invaders, a chief of Nandagiri has restored the temple idols and renovated the temple structure, started worshipping.

Moving on to the beliefs and prominence of Saraswathi Temple, it is considered one of the famous temples in Telangana. The Goddess Saraswathi here is known for the initiation of Aksharabhyasam where devotees make their children write for the first time before engaging them in School. And most of the devotees bring their children to the temple, especially on Vasantha Panchami day of the month, to perform the Aksharabhyasam ritual. They believe that after that ritual the child would do wonders in education and reach greater success in life.

Devotees in thousands of number take baths in the river Godavari and seek the blessings of the Goddess Saraswathi during the Mahashivarathri, Dussehra Navratri and Vasantha Panchami. The Vyasa Purnima festival is one of the famous festivals celebrated in Basara in commemoration of the temple founder, Sage Vyasa. It is held every year on Ashada Purnima Masam and is considered a major event in the temple.

During Vasantha Panchami that is in the months of January and February attracts around 40,000 to 50,000 devotees with a huge rush. Darshanam may take more than three hours and Aksharabhyasam ritual may take additional two hours. It is advised to reach this place very early in the morning on Vasantha Panchami to avoid the rush and to have darshanam.

In this article, we have discussed the history and significance of one of the historical temples Gnana Saraswathi Temple, a peaceful place to be visited and worshipped along with your family and friends. Do not forget to perform the Aksharabhyasam ritual for your child’s bright future.