Sri Gnana Saraswathi Temple

Basara Saraswathi Temple is one of the famous temples in Telangana. The Goddess Saraswathi is known for the initiation of Aksharabhyasa and is also called Sri Gnana Saraswathi. Basara Temple is one of the two oldest Saraswathi Temples in India, the other temple is in Kashmir.

Located on the banks of the river Godavari in Basar village, the Gnana Saraswathi Temple has got rich history attached to it, going back to the time of Mahabharata. Dedicated to Goddess Saraswathi, the temple also made it to the list of best Sarawasthi temples of the country, which is probably why it is visited by thousands of devotees all around the year.

Basar is an ideal destination for performing "Akshara Abhyasam" where children perform a ceremonial start before starting formal school education. The Puja begins at the temple daily at 4 am while Alankarana starts at 5 am in a pious atmosphere. The temple is flocked by devotees all around the year, especially during Maha Shivaratri, Devi Navarathrulu. The temple can be reached by bus and train from Hyderabad (205 km away) and Nizamabad.

History of Sri Gnana Saraswathi Temple

As per history, Bijialudu a Karnataka king, who ruled the province of Nandagiri with Nanded as his capital in the 6th century, constructed the temple at Basara.

According to the legend, Sage Veda Vyasa after the Kurukshetra war was searching for peace and reached Basara situated on the banks of River Godavari in Dandakaranya. He found this place very serene and so started meditating there. The Goddess ordered the sage to place three handfuls of sand at three places every day. Miraculously these dunes transformed into the idols of the divine trinity i.e., Saraswathi, Lakshmi, and Kali.

These are the presiding deities of Basar today. This place was earlier known as Vyasapuri but that later changed to Basara or Basar. Goddess Saraswathi in the temple is shown in a seated position with a Veena in her hands. A little distance from the temple is the shrine of Maha Lakshmi and Maha Kali.

Architecture of Sri Gnana Saraswathi Temple

Along the banks of the river Saraswati, the statue of the Goddess stands tall and magnificent above the hillock. It is a beautiful sight, thanks to its architectural excellence. The temple is located in the salubrious environment, and there are a lot of shrines for several other deities. Goddess Kali’s statue has been installed in this temple. Goddess Lakshmi’s statue is present here and it attracts a lot of devotees. One could also worship the holy trinity. The temple has a hall with a lot of pillars. There are several inscriptions in the temple, and various carvings are also found here.