Gnana Saraswati Temple, Hindu temple in Basar, India

Gnana Saraswati Temple rises in Telangana's Nirmal district near the Godavari, built from stone with carved deities and floral patterns on its walls. The main shrine for Saraswati, goddess of knowledge, stands at the center of the complex, surrounded by smaller prayer halls and maintained courtyards.

According to the Mahabharata, Maharishi Vyasa and the sage Viswamitra settled here after the Kurukshetra War, and the place was called Vasara, later Basara under Marathi influence. A Karnataka king, Bijialudu, who ruled Nandagiri from Nanded, built the temple in the sixth century. In the 17th century a Nandagiri chieftain reinstated the idols after destruction by Muslim invaders.

Schoolchildren arrive here for the Aksharabhyasam ceremony, where they write their first letters on slate with a wooden stick to begin their studies. Families bring offerings of fruit and flowers, asking the goddess to bless their children's path in learning.

The shrine opens every day from early morning until evening. Guesthouses and food stalls stand near the grounds, so visitors can have a meal or stay overnight for longer visits.

The temple is one of only two well-known Saraswati temples in the Indian subcontinent, the other being Sharada Peeth. A Mahakali idol stands on the first floor close to the main shrine, and an image of Lakshmi sits beside Saraswati in the sanctum, so Basar is called the abode of the divine trinity. Devotees also climb a nearby hill topped by a rock bearing a Saraswati idol.