Sringeri Sri Vidyashankara Temple

Sringeri Sri Vidyashankara Temple Claimed

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Temple Info

Main Deity:
Vidya Shankara Linga
Other Deities:
Vidya Ganapati, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and Durga
Year Established:
1342 CE
Functioning Temple:
Yes
Architecture Style:
Chalukya and Dravidian
Endowment Control:
No
Nearest Airport:
Mangaluru International Airport (IXE)
Nearest Railway Station:
Shimoga Station (SME)

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Description

The Vidyashankara temple is located in the holy town of Sringeri, in the Chikmagalur district of Karnataka. Apart from its religious significance, the temple is an eye open for architecture enthusiasts as it combines the architectural style of the Hoysala and Dravidian eras.

Sringeri is the site of one of the Advaitha mathas established by Adi Shankara himself. It has a continuing tradition and recorded history from the eighth century. Sri Adi Shankara’s disciple Sureshwarachrya was the first head of this matha.

Itihaas

The Sringeri Matha’s continued lineage is traceable through various records. Two of the most famous pontiffs of this matha are Vidya Shankara or Vidyathirtha and his disciple Vidyaranya.
Vidyaranya is a legendary figure in the history of Karnataka and also South India. His period saw the beginning of Muslim incursions into the south. Vidyaranya was instrumental in helping the brothers Harihara and Bukka establish the Vijayanagara Empire, which served as a fortress for defending Hindu traditions and temples against the tidal wave of Muslim invaders from the North.
Vidyaranya it is believed influenced the brothers Harihara and Bukka to have a temple constructed over the Samadhi of his Guru, Vidyathirtha. This temple is known as Vidyashankara Temple.

Legend

According to legend, Sri Adi Shankara is said to have selected the site as the place to stay and teach his disciples, because when he was walking by the Tunga river, he saw a cobra with a raised hood, providing shelter from the hot sun, to a frog undergoing labour. Impressed with the place where natural enemies had gone beyond their instincts, he stayed here for twelve years.

Architecture Details

The Vidyashankara temple was constructed in 1338 AD. Built around the Samadhi of Vidyathirtha, this is a beautiful and interesting temple that bears a slight resemblance to an old Chariot. It combines the general the features of Dravidian style with the Vijayanagara style. Standing on a richly sculpted plinth, this temple has six doorways.
Twelve pillars surround the mandapa with figures of the twelve signs of the zodiac. They are constructed in such an ingenious way that the rays of the sun fall on each pillar in the chronological order of the twelve months of the Hindu calendar. Each column is topped by a Yali with a rolling stone ball in its mouth.
Inside the temple, on the floor, a circle is drawn with lines corresponding to the shadows cast by each pillar. There are five shrines here. The main shrine has a Shiva Linga over the Samadhi of Sri Vidyashankara and it is known as Vidya Shankara Linga. The other shrines are for Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and Durga. The Garbhagraha is topped by a majestic square vimana.
This temple also houses a broken sandalwood idol of Sharadamba, believed to have been installed in the Sharadamba temple by Adi Shankara Himself. This idol, it is believed, was damaged during the Muslim invasion, and Sri Vidyaranya had the current Gold statue of Sharadamba installed in its place.
The temple stands on the banks of the Tunga river. Fish are often found at the temple steps where they wait for devotees to feed them puffed rice. These fish are considered sacred.

Parampara

Vidyatirtha Rathotsava is celebrated on a grand scale during kartika Shukla paksha. The festival spans for seven days from Tritiya to Navami. On the Saptami day His Holiness performs special Puja. Also the Aradhana of Sri Vidya Shankara is performed on shasti, saptami and ashtami.

Reference / Credit

https://www.karnataka.com/sringeri/vidyashankara-temple/, https://sringeri.net/temples/sri-vidyashankara

Temple Location

Today Closed UTC+5.5

07:00 AM - 01:00 PM 05:00 PM - 08:30 PM
  • Monday
    07:00 AM - 01:00 PM 05:00 PM - 08:30 PM
  • Tuesday
    07:00 AM - 01:00 PM 05:00 PM - 08:30 PM
  • Wednesday
    07:00 AM - 01:00 PM 05:00 PM - 08:30 PM
  • Thursday
    07:00 AM - 01:00 PM 05:00 PM - 08:30 PM
  • Friday
    07:00 AM - 01:00 PM 05:00 PM - 08:30 PM
  • Saturday
    07:00 AM - 01:00 PM 05:00 PM - 08:30 PM
  • Sunday
    07:00 AM - 01:00 PM 05:00 PM - 08:30 PM

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