Basar - Saraswathi temple
Encyclopedia
Gnana Saraswati Temple is a Hindu temple
of Goddess Saraswati located on the banks of Godavari River
at Basar, Andhra Pradesh
, 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 Adilabad district
in the state of Andhra Pradesh. It is about 30 km (19 mi) from Bhainsa
, 50 km (31 mi) from Nizamabad, 70 km (43 mi) from Nirmal
, and 205 km (127 mi) from Hyderabad.
Vyasa
and his disciples and sage Śuka
decided to settle down in a cool and serene atmosphere after the Kurukshetra War
. In the quest for a peaceful abode, he came to Dandaka
forest and, pleased with serenity of the region, selected this place. After his ablutions in the Godavari, Maharishi Vyasa used to bring three fistful of sand and place it in three small heaps and made images of Saraswati, Lakshmi
and Kali
with his mystic power and later conducted prayers. This idol made of sand has its face smeared with turmeric. Eating a little bit of this turmeric paste, it is believed, will enhance one's wisdom and knowledge. Since Maharishi Vyasa spent considerable time in prayers, the place was then called "Vasara" and turned into Basara due to the influence of the Marathi language
in the region.
However, according to the Brahmanda Purana
, the poet Valmiki
installed Saraswati and wrote Ramayana
here. There is a marble image of Valmiki and his Samādhi
near the temple.
It is also believed that this temple is one of the three temples constructed near the confluence of the Manjira
and Godavari rivers by Ashtrakutas.
Historically, 'Bijialudu' a Karnataka
king, who ruled the province of Nandagiri
with Nanded
as his capital in the sixth century, constructed the temple at Basara.
Special poojas and celebrations are held at the temple during Maha Shivaratri
, beginning 15 days before (Vasantha Panchami) and continuing 3 days after the festival. Devi Navarathrulu is celebrated for ten days during Dasara.
The temple also has a Mahakali
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 Lakshmi stands besides the 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.
Hindu temple
A Mandir, Devalayam, Devasthanam, or a Hindu temple is a place of worship for followers of Hinduism...
of Goddess Saraswati located on the banks of Godavari River
Godavari River
The Godavari is a river that runs from western to southern India and is considered to be one of the big river basins in India. With a length of 1465 km, it is the second longest river in India , that runs within the country and also the longest river in South India...
at Basar, Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It is one of the two famous Saraswati temples in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, the other being in Jammu & Kashmir. Saraswati is the Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
Goddess of knowledge and learning. Children are brought to the temple for the learning ceremony called as Akshara abyasam
Akshara abyasam
Akshara abyasam is a Hindu ceremony for children where they are introduced to education in front of the Goddess Saraswathy. Gnana Saraswati Temple in Basar, Andhra Pradesh is a popular temple where such ceremonies are held in large numbers.-External links:*...
.
Basar is a census town in the Adilabad district
Adilabad district
Adilabad District is a district in Andhra Pradesh, India. The district headquarters is at Adilabad town. A famous Temple of the Goddess Saraswathi, the Hindu Goddess of Education, is located here in the town of Basara.-Origin of name:...
in the state of Andhra Pradesh. It is about 30 km (19 mi) from Bhainsa
Bhainsa
Bhainsa or Bhaisa is a town, mandal headquarters and a municipality in Adilabad district in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India.Major crops include cotton, paddy, maize, vegetables and sugarcane.-Geography:...
, 50 km (31 mi) from Nizamabad, 70 km (43 mi) from Nirmal
Nirmal
Nirmal is a town, mandal headquarters and a municipality in Adilabad district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.It is the political headquarters of the district having a history of 400years.The name "NIRMAL" has been derived from one of its famous rulers NIMMA NAIDU way back in 17th century.He...
, and 205 km (127 mi) from Hyderabad.
Origin
According to legend, MaharishiMaharishi
Maharishi is the anglicized version of the Sanskrit word Maharshi महर्षि . Maharishi is often use as an addition to a person's name as an honorary title. The term was first seen in modern English literature in the 18th century...
Vyasa
Vyasa
Vyasa is a central and revered figure in most Hindu traditions. He is also sometimes called Veda Vyasa , or Krishna Dvaipayana...
and his disciples and sage Śuka
Suka
The Suka was a unique fiddle that was played vertically, on the knee or hanging from a strap, and the strings were stopped at the side with the fingernails; similar to the Gadulka. The body of the instrument was very similar to the modern violin, but the neck was very wide, and the pegbox was crude...
decided to settle down in a cool and serene atmosphere after the Kurukshetra War
Kurukshetra war
According to the Indian epic poem Mahābhārata, a dynastic succession struggle between two groups of cousins of an Indo-Aryan kingdom called Kuru, the Kauravas and Pandavas, for the throne of Hastinapura resulted in the Kurukshetra War in which a number of ancient kingdoms participated as allies of...
. In the quest for a peaceful abode, he came to Dandaka
Dandaka
Dandaka was the name of aranya or forest, lying between the Godavari and Narmada. It was of vast extent, and some passages of the Ramayana represent it as beginning immediately south of the Yamuna...
forest and, pleased with serenity of the region, selected this place. After his ablutions in the Godavari, Maharishi Vyasa used to bring three fistful of sand and place it in three small heaps and made images of Saraswati, Lakshmi
Lakshmi
Lakshmi or Lakumi is the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity , light, wisdom, fortune, fertility, generosity and courage; and the embodiment of beauty, grace and charm. Representations of Lakshmi are also found in Jain monuments...
and Kali
Kali
' , also known as ' , is the Hindu goddess associated with power, shakti. The name Kali comes from kāla, which means black, time, death, lord of death, Shiva. Kali means "the black one". Since Shiva is called Kāla - the eternal time, Kālī, his consort, also means "Time" or "Death" . Hence, Kāli is...
with his mystic power and later conducted prayers. This idol made of sand has its face smeared with turmeric. Eating a little bit of this turmeric paste, it is believed, will enhance one's wisdom and knowledge. Since Maharishi Vyasa spent considerable time in prayers, the place was then called "Vasara" and turned into Basara due to the influence of the Marathi language
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
in the region.
However, according to the Brahmanda Purana
Brahmanda Purana
The Brahmanda Purana is one of the eighteen Mahapuranas, a genre of eighteen Hindu religious texts and has been assigned the eighteenth place in almost all the lists of the Puranas.Brahma in Sanskrit means "the biggest", anda/andam means globe...
, the poet Valmiki
Valmiki
Valmiki is celebrated as the poet harbinger in Sanskrit literature. He is the author of the epic Ramayana, based on the attribution in the text of the epic itself. He is revered as the Adi Kavi, which means First Poet, for he discovered the first śloka i.e...
installed Saraswati and wrote Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
here. There is a marble image of Valmiki and his Samādhi
Samadhi
Samadhi in Hinduism, Buddhism,Jainism, Sikhism and yogic schools is a higher level of concentrated meditation, or dhyāna. In the yoga tradition, it is the eighth and final limb identified in the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali....
near the temple.
It is also believed that this temple is one of the three temples constructed near the confluence of the Manjira
Manjira
The manjïrà is a traditional percussion instrument of Bhàrata India. In its simplest form it is a pair of small hand cymbals. It is also known as manjeera, tala, jalra, khartàl or kartàl....
and Godavari rivers by Ashtrakutas.
Historically, 'Bijialudu' a Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
king, who ruled the province of Nandagiri
Nandagiri
Nandagiri is the name of several places in India. It may refer to a village in Andhra Pradesh, a suburb of Hyderabad or a hill fortress in Karnataka.-Village:...
with Nanded
Nanded
Nanded is the second largest city in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra, India. It is also headquarters of Nanded district in the Marathwada Division of the state. It is an important holy place for the Sikh faith and is famous for the Hazur Sahib Gurudwara. It is the district headquarters once...
as his capital in the sixth century, constructed the temple at Basara.
The Temple Today
Many pilgrims come to 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. The Puja 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 during Maha Shivaratri
Maha Shivaratri
Maha Shivratri or Maha Sivaratri or Shivaratri or Sivarathri is a Hindu festival celebrated every year on the 13th night/14th day in the Krishna Paksha of the month of Maagha or Phalguna...
, beginning 15 days before (Vasantha Panchami) and continuing 3 days after the festival. Devi Navarathrulu is celebrated for ten days during Dasara.
The temple also has a Mahakali
Kali
' , also known as ' , is the Hindu goddess associated with power, shakti. The name Kali comes from kāla, which means black, time, death, lord of death, Shiva. Kali means "the black one". Since Shiva is called Kāla - the eternal time, Kālī, his consort, also means "Time" or "Death" . Hence, Kāli is...
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 Lakshmi stands besides the 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.