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.
India ni kama kaleidoscope, na ina sifa tofauti, ambazo hazifanyi kazi kwa njia tofauti. Watu wanaofuata itikadi tofauti (dini) wanaweza kuonekana nchini India. Kama tunavyojua, India ina hekalu, misikiti na makanisa mengi ambayo yalijengwa karne nyingi zilizopita. Hekalu ni kituo kikuu cha ibada ya Wahindu, na wao kufanya desturi nyingi na sherehe katika mahekalu haya. India Kusini ni ya kipekee kwa kuwa na mahekalu makubwa yaliyojengwa kwa mawe na vifaa vingine. Kuna mahekalu mengi katika Andhra Pradesh na Gnana Saraswati Temple ni moja kati yao. Hebu tuchunguze kwa makini mambo madogo-madogo ya hekalu hilo kubwa. Hekalu la Gnana Sraswati limewekwa wakfu kwa mungu wa kike Saraswati ambaye anahusiana na maarifa. Hekalu hilo liko karibu na mto mkubwa Godavari ulio Basar. Hekalu hili ni mojawapo ya mahekalu mawili nchini India yaliyowekwa wakfu kwa mungu Saraswati, na hekalu jingine liko Jammu na Kashmir. "Hiko kuna ibada inayoitwa ""Akshara Abhishekam"" ambayo hufanyika katika Hekalu la Gnana Saraswati." Kuna hadithi nyingi nyuma ya asili ya hekalu hili na mahali Basar ambapo hekalu iko. Hadithi moja inatuambia kwamba mzee mkuu Vyasa na mwanafunzi wake Viswamitra walifika mahali hapa wakitafuta amani baada ya vita vya Kurukshetra. "Hii ilifanya wakazi katika msitu wa Dandaka, ambapo mtakatifu mkuu Vyasa alitafakari, na hivyo mahali hapo pakajulikana kama ""Vasara"" na baadaye uvutano wa Marathi ulibadilisha kuwa ""Basara.""" Hekalu hilo lilijengwa wakati wa karne ya sita na mmoja wa wafalme wa mapema wanaojulikana kwa jina la Bijaludu (alitawala Nandagiri). Ujenzi wa hekalu unategemea mtindo wa kusini mwa India ambao ulifanikiwa katika sehemu ya kusini mwa India wakati wa karne za mapema. Sasa hebu tuchunguze kwa makini hali ya hekalu la sasa. Akshara Abhiyan ni sherehe ya ibada ya ibada ya ibada ya ibada ya ibada ya ibada ya ibada ya ibada ya ibada ya ibada ya ibada ya ibada ya ibada ya ibada ya ibada ya ibada ya ibada ya ibada ya ibada ya ibada ya ibada ya ibada ya ibada ya ibada ya ibada ya ibada ya ibada ya ibada ya ibada ya ibada ya ibada. Hekalu hufunguliwa saa 4 asubuhi na Abhishekam ambayo itachukua karibu saa moja, kufuatia Abhishekam ni Alankaram ambapo sanamu ya Mungu Saraswati hupambwa na saree mpya. Kufikia saa sita asubuhi aarti huanza baada ya hapo prasadams husambazwa kwa waabudu. Puja ya kawaida ya Gnana Saraswati ni moja ya ibada za kawaida za hekalu la Gnana Saraswati, na pia inaadhimishwa katika siku ya Shivaratri. Katika hekalu la Gnana Saraswati, sherehe za Vyasa Poornami, Vasant Panchami na Dasara Navratri huadhimishwa. Mtakatifu Mahakali na Mtakatifu Laxmi pia wamekuwa wakihudhuria ibada ya mungu katika hekalu hili, na kwa hivyo mahali hapa ni kama mungu kwa sababu ya uwepo wa miungu mitatu kuu ya dini ya Kihindu. Kwa hivyo, ni rahisi kwa wageni kufika Basar kutoka Hyderabad, kwani ni umbali wa kilomita 210 tu kutoka Hyderabad. Huduma za kawaida za basi za Basar zinapatikana kutoka Hyderabad na watu ambao wako tayari kwenda kwa reli watalazimika kufika kituo cha reli cha Basar ambacho kiko karibu kilomita 2.4 kutoka kwa Hekalu la Basar. Basar ni mji ulioendelea vizuri ambapo unaweza kutimiza baadhi ya mahitaji yako. Hoteli nyingi zinazotoa vifaa vya kukaa nyuma zinapatikana huko Basar ambazo husaidia wasafiri wanaotembelea mahali hapa. Ni mahali pazuri si kwa ajili ya watalii tu bali pia kwa ajili ya kutazama vitu vya kuvutia. Watu kutoka sehemu mbalimbali za India huja mahali hapa ili kuona miungu mitatu ya Hekalu hili. Watalii ambao wanapanga safari ya Hyderabad hawapaswi kurudi bila kutembelea hekalu hili la ajabu ambalo linaonyesha ustadi na uwezo wa mababu zetu.