| Gnana Saraswati Temple శ్రీ జ్ఞాన సరస్వతి దేవస్థానము | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Hinduism |
| District | Nirmal |
| Deity | Saraswati |
| Festivals | Saraswati Puja |
| Location | |
| Location | Basara |
| State | Telangana |
| Country | India |
  Location in Telangana Show map of Telangana Gnana Saraswati Temple (India) Show map of India | |
| Coordinates | 18°52′40″N77°57′23″E / 18.87778°N 77.95639°E /18.87778; 77.95639 |
| Architecture | |
| Type | South Indian |
| Elevation | 579 m (1,900 ft) |
Gnana Saraswati Temple (Telugu:శ్రీ జ్ఞాన సరస్వతి దేవస్థానము) is aHindu temple ofGoddess Saraswati located on the banks ofGodavari River atBasara,Telangana,India.[1] It is one of the two famous Saraswati temples in theIndian subcontinent, the other beingSharada Peeth. Saraswati is theHindu Goddess of knowledge and learning. Children are brought to the temple for the learning ceremony called asAkshara abyasam.
Basara is a census town in theNirmal district in the state of Telangana.[2] It is about 30 km (19 mi) fromBhainsa,15.5 km (10 mi) fromDharmabad, 34.8 km (22 mi) fromNizamabad, 96.0 km (60 mi) fromNanded, 70 km (43 mi) from district headquartersNirmal, and 205 km (127 mi) fromHyderabad.
According to Mahabharatha,MaharishiVyas and his disciples and sageViswamitra decided to settle down in a cool and serene atmosphere after theKurukshetra War. In the quest for a peaceful abode, he came toDandaka forest and, pleased with serenity of the region, selected this place. Since Maharishi Vyasa spent considerable time in prayers, the place was then called "Vasara" and turned into Basara due to the influence of theMarathi language in this region.[citation needed]
It is also believed that this temple is one of the three temples constructed near the confluence of theManjira andGodavari rivers.
Historically, 'Bijialudu' aKarnataka king, who ruled the province ofNandagiri withNanded as his capital in the sixth century, constructed the temple at Basara. In the 17th century, the idols of the temple were reinstated by a chieftain of Nandagiri (Nanded) subsequent to destruction caused by Muslim invaders.[3]
Many pilgrims come to Gnana Saraswati Temple Basara to perform the "Akshara abhyasam" ceremony for the children before they start formal school education. The children perform the exercise of letters, and devote books, pens, pencils notebooks to the goddess of knowledge. ThePuja at the temple starts at 4 am in morning with Abhishekam which carries on for an hour. At 5 o'clock they start the Alankarana whereby the new sarees are adorned to the goddesses. The whole atmosphere is very pious and pure. At 6 am, in the rays of the morning sun, the aarti starts at the temple after which the prasadam is given to the devotees.
Special poojas and celebrations are held at the temple duringMaha Shivaratri, beginning 15 days before (Vasantha Panchami) and continuing 3 days after the festival. Devi Navarathrulu is celebrated for ten days duringDasara.
The temple also has aMahakali idol situated on the 1st floor very near to the main temple. Devotees often go to the nearby mountain which has an Idol of Goddess Saraswati on the top of the rock. The image of GoddessLakshmi stands beside Goddess Saraswati in the sanctum sanctorum. Due to the presence of Saraswati, Lakshmi and Kali, Basara is considered as the abode of the divine trinity.
The temple is located about 210 kilometers (via road) from the nearest cityHyderabad. It is well connected by district buses, run byTSRTC.MSRTC buses also run from Hyderabad,Nanded, etc. The nearest railway station to the temple is Basar (BSX) Railway Station, located about 2.4 km away.
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