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Nirmal: Thousands of devotees continued to throng the Sri Gnana Saraswathi Devasthanam at Basar for the second consecutive day on Saturday as the nine-day annual Sharannavaratri festivities continued.
Devotees from Telangana, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu visited the shrine and offered special prayers. Many took a holy dip in the Godavari before joining long queues for darshan of the deity. Some parents also performed Aksharabhyasam, the traditional initiation of children into learning.
On Friday, the temple town witnessed a heavy influx of devotees on the occasion of Mula Nakshatra, considered the birth star of Goddess Saraswathi. The goddess appeared as Katyayani Devi as part of the festivities.
The temple earned Rs 25.38 lakh through devotees’ offerings, the sale of prasadam and fees collected for Aksharabhyasam. As many as 2,044 parents performed the ritual for their children.
Local MLA Ramarao Patel inaugurated a boating facility on the Godavari, enabling devotees to view the surroundings from the river.
Temple officials said elaborate arrangements had been made for the smooth conduct of the festivities. Security was tightened to prevent untoward incidents, with around 200 police personnel deployed. Temporary queue lines and basic amenities were also arranged to manage the crowds and facilitate devotees.
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