A Temple Dedicated to Jnana Saraswathy

Basar Jnana Saraswathy Temple is in Nirmal district of Telangana, close to the Maharashtra border.

The name Basar is connected to Vyasa—or Vyasara, as Sage Vyasa is addressed with respect. Vakara became Bakara and then later Basar.

The place was originally known as Vyasapuri. After the Kurukshetra War, Vyasa was very upset. The Pandavas and Kauravas were his own grandchildren. He came to Vyasapuri on the banks of the River Godavari and started observing tapas.

He started depositing fistfuls of mud at three places. As his tapas progressed, Mahamaya Jagadamba Adi Parashakti gave him darshana in three forms—first as Mahakali, then as Mahalakshmi the next day, and as Mahasaraswati the day after.

Devi herself told Vyasa Maharshi that her permanent presence would be at this place, primarily as the Goddess of Knowledge, Jnana Saraswathy.

There is another legend connected to Basar Jnana Saraswathy Devi.

Kumbhakarna, Ravana’s brother, performed intense tapas to propitiate Brahma. If tapas is performed properly, then the particular devata for whom it is meant has to grant the wish of the tapasvi. Otherwise, it becomes difficult for the devata.

Brahma was in a dilemma. Kumbhakarna was not a good person. No one knew what he would ask for. Whatever he asked for would bring trouble to others. But Brahma could not refuse either. He asked Saraswathy Devi what to do.

Devi said, ‘You appear before him. Let me see.’

When Brahma appeared before Kumbhakarna, he wanted to ask for nirdevatwa—becoming more powerful than the devas, making the devas unable to touch him.

Saraswathy Devi is Vagdevi. Not only speech, but since all our thoughts are in words, she controls thoughts as well. She controls both coherence of thoughts and coherence of speech. She influenced Kumbhakarna’s mind.

Instead of nirdevatwa, Kumbhakarna ended up asking for nidratwa—sleepiness.

निर्देवत्वेच्छया निद्रां कुम्भकर्णोऽवृणीत

Brahma immediately granted this boon.

Ravana himself was creating enough trouble—what if Kumbhakarna had also become powerful? Thus, Devi saved the world from more trouble.

This temple is famous for initiation into letters—Vidyārambha or Aksharābhyāsa.

The famous Chintamani Ganesha Temple is also nearby.

Ramaswamy Sastry and Vighnesh Ghanapaathi