India can be called as a kaleidoscope as it has a variety of features, which are not the same everywhere that it is a diverse nation. People following different beliefs (religious) can be seen in India. We all know that India has many temples, mosques and churches which were constructed before centuries. Temples are the main centre of worship of the Hindus, and they conduct many rituals and ceremonies in these temples. South India is unique with the presence of large temples built of stone and other materials. There are many temples in Andhra Pradesh and Gnana Saraswati Temple is one among them. Let us have a close look at the details of this great temple.

The Gnana Sraswati temple is dedicated to the Goddess Saraswati who is related with knowledge. The temple is placed near the great river Godavari that is at Basar. The main speciality of this temple is that it is one among the two temples in India which is dedicated to the Saraswati god; the other temple is located in Jammu and Kashmir. There is a ritual performed by Hindus known as Akshara Abhyasam (where hindu kids are introduced to the path of knowledge) is conducted in the Gnana Saraswati Temple.

There are many myths behind the origin of this temple and the place Basar where the temple is located. A story tells us that the great sage Vyasa and his disciple Viswamitra reached this place in search of peace after the kurukshetra war. This search made them to settle at the Dandaka forest where the great saint Vyasa meditated and thus this place came to be known as Vasara and later on the Marathi influence converted it to Basara. The temple was constructed during the sixth century by one of the early kings known by the name Bijaludu (ruled Nandagiri). The temple construction is based on the south Indian style which flourished in the southern portion of India during the early centuries.

Now let us have a close look at the present condition of the temple. As told earlier Akshara abhyasa is an important ceremony performed in this temple where the children of the devotees are introduced to education and they also donate notebooks, pens and pencils to the Goddess. The temple opens at 4 AM with the Abhishekam which would take around one hour, following Abhishekam it is the Alankaram where the idol of the Saraswati God is decorated by new saree. By 6 O’clock in the morning the aarti begins after which the prasadams are distributed to the devotees. This is the routine puja conducted in the Gnana Saraswati Temple and many special pujas are also performed in this temple which is mainly performed during the Maha Shivaratri. Some of the festivals which are celebrated in the Gnana Saraswati Temple include 1) Vyasa Pournami, 2) Vasantha Panchami, 3) Dasara Navarathrulu. The Mahakali goddess and Maha Laxmi also got a place in this temple, and thus this place is considered as a divine because of the presence of all the three major goddess of Hindu religion.

It will be easy for the visitors to reach Basar from Hyderabad as it is only 210 KMS away from Hyderabad. Regular bus services to the basar are available from Hyderabad and people who are willing to go by rail will have to reach the Basar railway station which is around 2.4 kms away from the Basar Temple. Basar is a well developed town where you could fulfill some of your requirements. Many hotels providing stay back facilities are available at Basar which help the travelers visiting this place. It is a good place not only for pilgrims but also for sightseeing. People from different parts of India come to this place in order to see the tri gods of this Temple. Tourists who are planning a trip to Hyderabad should not go back without visiting this wonderful temple which reflects the skills and abilities of our forefathers.