Bangalore may be considered the knowledge capital of the country, but Andhra Pradesh can boast of something which other states cannot - a temple dedicated exclusively to the Goddess of learning and intellect: the Gnana Saraswathi Devi temple at Basar.

Basar is a small, dusty and nondescript village amidst the dry and barren patches of the north Telangana region. Located at a distance of about 220 kilometres by road and 260 kilometres by rail ( it is fairly well connected) from Hyderabad, Basar forms part of the  Adilabad district though it is barely 30 kilometres from Nizamabad.

This temple is not only rare, as it is one of the few Saraswathi temples in the country, (the one at Koothanur in Tamil Nadu included); what makes it unique in that it was initially consecrated by the great sage, Veda Vyasa.

History of the Temple

The uniqueness of the temple notwithstanding, few people visit it.  It is only during the Navarathri festival that special poojas are organised and pilgrims throng the temple.   Students, quite expectedly, outnumber the other pilgrims.  Several people undertake
deeksha (austere living) for periods ranging from 11 to 40 days to earn the benevolence of the Goddess of learning.