Mudhole: Vasantha Panchami celebrations are underway in grand style at the famous pilgrimage site of Basara in Nirmal district. Devotees have been arriving since the early hours of Friday to seek the blessings of Goddess Sri Gnana Saraswati, leading to a heavy rush at the temple. Long queues were seen as parents turned up in large numbers for their children’s Akshara Abhyasam (initiation into education). Temple priests performed the ceremony for the children in the presence of the Goddess.
The temple has been beautifully decorated for the occasion. Rituals began at 1:30 AM with Abhishekam for Goddesses Sri Gnana Saraswati, Mahalakshmi, and Mahakali, followed by Mangala Vaidyam, Suprabhata Seva, and other special prayers. District Collector Abhilasha Abhinav visited the temple early in the morning and performed special poojas.
Devotees from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu have gathered in large numbers to offer their prayers. Temple EO Anjana Devi, CI Kiran, and SI Navaneeth Reddy supervised the arrangements to ensure a smooth experience for the pilgrims. The temple administration is distributing milk and biscuits to devotees waiting in queues. Currently, it is taking approximately three hours for devotees to complete their darshan.
