Basant Panchami is an auspicious date on the Hindu calendar.
It is dedicated to Devi Saraswati, the goddess who is considered the embodiment of wisdom, learning and knowledge.
Households and neighbourhoods come together, bringing her murthi for worship to decorated pandals and laying books, musical instruments, paintings, pens, geometry boxes, educational tools at her feet for blessings.
India is home to several Saraswati shrines
Gnana Saraswati Temple, Telangana
Situated at Godavari's edge, in Basar, the temple was erected in honour of the goddess of knowledge around the 6th century. The shrine hosts special rituals, beginning from Basant Panchami and continuing for a few days after the festival.
Sharada Peeth, Kashmir
Nestled within the Neelum Valley are the ruins of Sharada Peeth, once an ancient seat of scholarship.
Recognised as a Maha Shakti Peetha, it is believed to mark the place where Goddess Sati's right hand fell, with its name honouring Sharada, the Kashmiri avatar of Saraswati.
Sharda Peeth, Rajasthan
Constructed in 1959, the Saraswati shrine at Pilani in Rajasthan is an imposing white-marble monument.
Supported by 70 pillars, the temple rises from a raised plinth nearly seven feet high and is located across roughly 25,000 sq ft, with its pristine stone sourced from the famed Makrana quarries.
Wargal Saraswati Temple, Telangana
Also known as Sri Vidya Saraswati temple, the temple is in the Siddipet district of the state.
The complex also houses a Vedic school, preserving and imparting traditional scriptural learning.
Dakshina Mookambika Temple, Kerala
Located in North Paravur in Ernakulam district, the mandir is to Goddess Mookambika, with its sanctum set amid a serene lotus-filled pond.
Local lore recounts that the Paravur ruler, once a devoted pilgrim of the Kollur temple, was guided by the deity through a dream in his later years to establish her murthi close to his palace, allowing him everyday worship, a vision that led to the temple's founding.
Maa Sarala Temple, Odisha
Situated in Odisha's Jagatsinghpur district, the Maa Sarala or Jhankad Sarala shrine is an important Hindu place of worship dating back to the 8th century.
In its inner sanctum stands a stone image of the goddess with eight arms, shown subduing the lion in the Mahishasura-slaying stance, a temple believed to have been raised under the patronage of the famed Bhauma rulers.
Sringeri Sharadamba Temple, Karnataka
Perched on the banks of the Tunga river in Sringeri, the Sri Sharadamba Temple honours the goddess Sharadamba.
The historic sanctuary, founded in the 8th century by Adi Shankara, is a centre of devotion and learning.
© 2026