Do's and Dont's
Dos
- Do pay obeisance to your Ishta Divam or Kula Divam before you start for Basara.
- Do bathe in the Godavari and worship Sri Gnana Saraswathi Devi.
- Do bathe and wear clean clothes (wear a dhoti with upper cloth) before you enter the temple.
- Do concentrate only on Sri Gnana Saraswathi Devi inside the temple.
- Do observe absolute silence inside the temple and chant "Om Sri Saraswathyei namo namaha" to yourself.
- Do respect ancient customs while in Basara.
- Do pay obeisance (Pranaamam) with two hands. "Mukulitha Hastha Pranaamam" is auspecious.
- Do respect and Promote religious sentiments among the co-pilgrims.
- Do deposit your offerings in the Hundi.
- Do wear a tilakadharana in accordance with Hindu religion.
- One who regards his Guru (preceptor) as a mere human being, the lords Bimba as only a stone image, the Vedic mantras as just a means of livelihood and one who is indifferent to the worship rituals become blameworthy and his would be of no value (nishphalam).
- Be clean physically and mentally.
- Follow the procedures and wait for your turn for the Darshanam of the si Gnana Saraswathi Devi.
- Do respect ladies and be kind towards children and the senior citizens
Don'ts
- Do not carry too much jewelry or cash with you.
- Do not come to Basara for any purpose other than worshipping the Godess.
- Do not eat non-vegetarian food.
- Don't wear footwear or move around in a vehicle, in and around the premises of the temple.
- Don't rush in for Darshanam. But along with the queue.
- Don't prostrate (sastanga danda pranamam) inside the temple. (up to Dhwajasthamba)
- Don't throw away the Prasadam and theertham.
- Don't wear flowers and garlands in Basara; all the flowers are for the Godess only.
- Don't encourage beggars, but do contribute to the needy.
- Don't spit or be a nuisance inside and premises of the temple.
- Don't enter the shrine naked or wearing a piece of lion cloth (Kaupina).
- Don't wear any head guards (helmet, caps, turban, hat etc unless required by your religion.) while entering the temple.
- Don't carry any weapon while entering the temple.
- Don't eat food brought from outside or chew betel leaves while entering the temple or in the temple premises.
- One should not loiter, litter,spit and urinate or defecate around the premises of the temple.
- One should not have gossip or talk about sexuality while in the temple.
- Having entered a temple , one should never commit an act of violence, harshness in the premises.
- Standing in god's presence one must never utter a lie.
- One should not quarrel in a temple on any account, the temple is not a place for it.
- One should not talk about his wealth, money, status and Ahamkara but be obedient to God in the temple.
- One should not bow before another person while in a temple; God is the only Lord for all.
- One should not sit with his back to the deity in the temple.
- There are sequences of poojas ans sevas in the temple and one should have patience to have the darshanam of the Lord.
- Making pranamam (obeisance) with only one hand to the Godess is prohibited. Use both hands