Over 2,000 children begin their letters at Basar around Moola Nakshatram as Navaratri crowds fill Saraswati temple

More than 2,000 children had their first formal lesson in letters at the Sri Gnana Saraswathi temple in Basar on Moola Nakshatram and the day after, as Navaratri pilgrims crowded the riverside shrine in Nirmal district. Parents performed Aksharabhyasam for 2,044 children, and the temple saw heavy crowds for a second day running on Saturday, 17 October.

Moola Nakshatram, which fell on Friday, 16 October, is regarded by devotees as the birth star of Goddess Saraswati, and it is traditionally the busiest day of the Sharannavaratri festival at Basar. On Friday the goddess was decorated as Katyayani Devi.

Families from five states

Devotees came from across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, and from Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Many took a holy dip in the Godavari before joining long queues for darshan. Temple staff started the ceremonies early in the morning, and families waited in line for their turn.

To ease the pressure on families, the temple ran Aksharabhyasam in three separate mandapams. Executive officer Katta Anjani Devi said ten large coolers had been installed because of the heat, and children waiting in line were given milk, biscuits and cool drinking water. The rituals were to resume at 5 am on Saturday for those who could not be accommodated on Friday.

Security and a new boat ride

Police deployed about 200 personnel to manage the crowd, and temporary queue lines and basic facilities were set up around the temple. The temple earned Rs 25.38 lakh from offerings, prasadam sales and Aksharabhyasam fees, temple officials said.

Local MLA Ramarao Patel also inaugurated a boating facility on the Godavari during the festival, giving visitors a way to see the temple town from the river.

Why Basar draws young families

Basar, on the banks of the Godavari close to the Maharashtra border, is one of the best-known Saraswati temples in South India. Parents from both Telugu states and beyond bring children of pre-school age there for Aksharabhyasam throughout the year, but the Navaratri days, and Moola Nakshatram in particular, draw the largest numbers. The Sharannavaratri festivities across the Telugu states end with Vijayadashami on Tuesday, 20 October.

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