Gnana Saraswathi Temple

Gnana Saraswati Temple is a Hindu temple of Goddess Saraswati located on the banks of Godavari River at Basar, Telangana, India. It is one of the two famous Saraswati temples in India, the other being in Jammu & Kashmir. Saraswati is the Hindu Goddess of knowledge and learning. Children are brought to the temple for the learning ceremony called as Akshara abyasam.

Basar is a census town in the nirmal district in the state of Telangana. It is about 30 km (19 mi) from Bhainsa,15.5 km (10 mi) from Dharmabad, 34.8 km (22 mi) from Nizamabad, 96.0 km (60 mi) from Nanded, 70 km (43 mi) from district headquarters Nirmal, and 205 km (127 mi) from Hyderabad.
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 here. The Goddess ordered the sage to place three handful of sand at three places every day. Miraculously these sand 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.

Akshar abhyasam is one of the famous rituals performed at Goddess Saraswati temple. It is a formal introduction of a child into education. Many devotees bring their children to the temple, especially on Vasantha Panchami day, for the Aksharabhyasam ritual. It is believed that after this ritual the child will do wonders in education. Thousands of devotees bath in the river Godavari and seek the blessings of the Goddess during the Mahashivarathri, Dassera navratris and Vasantha panchami. The Vyasa Purnima festival is celebrated to commemorate the founder of the temple Sage Vyasa. It is held every year on Ashada Purnima and is a major event in the temple.