Vidyashankara Temple Located in Sringeri also Known As Sharada Peetham Sringeri is one of the four cardinal pithams following the Dasanami Sampradaya. The peetham or matha is said to have been established by Acharya Sri Adi Sankara to preserve and propagate Sanatana Dharma and Advaita Vedanta, the doctrine of non-dualism.  It is the Southern Maya Pitham among the four Chaturmnya Pithams, with the others being the Dvrak rad Ptham (Gujarat) in the West, Pur Govardhana Ptham (Odisha) in the East, and Badri Jyotishpha (Uttarakhand) in the North. The matha’s leader is known as Shankaracharya, a title derived from Adi Shankara.

The Vidyashankara Temple was constructed in 1338 A.D. It is a one-of-a-kind monument made entirely of stone that combines Hoysala (Chalukya) and Dravidian architectural styles. The structure stands on a high plinth and commands a magnificent view of the surrounding hills and slopes. It is roughly shaped like a rectangle with apsidal east-west ends.

Overview of Vidyashankara Temple

The Sharada Peetham Sringeri is a major Hindu institution that has historically coordinated Smrta tradition and monastic activities through satellite institutions in South India, as well as preserved Sanskrit literature and pursued Advaita studies. The Pitham maintains libraries and repositories of historic Sanskrit manuscripts, as well as several Vedic schools (pathashalas). The ringer Mutt has been active in the preservation of Vedas, sponsoring students and recitals, providing Sanskrit scholarships, and celebrating traditional annual festivals such as Akara Jayanti and Guru Purnima (Vysa Prnima).

The Ptham has branches all over India and temples in several locations. There is also a social outreach programme. With the support of the BJP and the Sangh Parivar, it has initiated various reforms against orthodoxy in an effort to become the holy see of a single united Hindu religion.

Currently, parts of the temple, such as the gopuram, are in ruins, and the main temple and associated shrines stand alone. It has two sundials, one in the morning and one in the evening, which can be seen as chariot wheels. Every year during Magha, the temple attracts large crowds of Hindu pilgrims, and some of the images, such as those of Durga and Shiva, are used in special pujas.

History of Vidyashankara Temple

The Sringeri Matha’s lineage can be traced back through various records. Vidya Shankara or Vidyathirtha and his disciple Vidyaranya are two of this matha’s most famous pontiffs.

Vidyaranya is a legendary figure in Karnataka and South Indian history. During his reign, Muslim incursions into the south began. Vidyaranya was instrumental in establishing the Vijayanagara Empire, which served as a fortress for defending Hindu traditions and temples against the onslaught of Muslim invaders from the north.

It is believed that Vidyaranya influenced the brothers Harihara and Bukka to build a temple over the Samadhi of his Guru, Vidyathirtha. Vidyashankara Temple is the name of this temple.

The Architecture of Vidyashankara Temple

The Sringeri Matha is home to two major temples. The Vidya Shankara temple is dedicated to Shiva, while the Sharada Amba temple is dedicated to Saraswati. The first Shiva temple was built in the 14th century, followed by a Saraswati temple in the 15th century.

The Vidyashankara temple is an unusual fusion of pre-Vijayanagara Hindu temple architecture traditions with Hoysala and Vijayanagara styles. The temple is apsidal in shape, with the interior chambers and sanctum set on a square plan, while the spire and outer walls are almost circular.

The temple, like the Hoysala temples, is set on a high plinth, with the basement adorned with sculpted animals and balustrades flanked by yalis. The outer walls of the Shiva temple have large sculptured panels at right angles to each other that depict the major gods and goddesses of Vedic tradition and post-Vedic Hindu traditions such as Shaivism, Vaishnavism, Shaktism, Saurism (Surya), and Ganapatya (Ganesha).

The temple’s base features relief friezes depicting stories from Hindu epics and Puranas. The sanctum contains a linga, with Brahma-Sarawati on the southern side, Vishnu-Lakshmi on the western side, and Shiva-Parvati on the northern side. The temple can be approached from four different directions.

A large mandapa with intricately carved pillars, several antechambers with artwork, a sanctum with linga and a circumambulation passageway around it can be found inside the temple. The passageway leads to smaller shrines honouring Hindu gods and goddesses from different Hindu traditions. The current Vidyashankara temple, according to George Michell, reflects 16th-century additions.

Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge and the arts, is the monastery’s presiding deity. According to monastery tradition, Adi Shankara installed a sandalwood image of Saraswati as Saradamba in a simple shrine, which was later replaced with its current gold copy during the Vijayanagara era.

The shrine was rebuilt and expanded in the early twentieth century. The temple has a maha-mandapa (main hall) with sculpted images of the saptamatrikas (seven mothers). The goddess rides in a chariot of gold. The temple has small shrines for Ganesha and Bhuvaneshvari in addition to Saraswati in the sanctum.

Important Facts About Vidyashankara Temple

• Sri Vidyashankara Temple is a Hindu temple located within the Sharada Peetham Complex in Sringeri, 1 km from the Sringeri Bus Stand. It is one of the most well-known temples in Sringeri.
• In the first millennium CE, Aadi Sankaracharya established the Sarada Peetham here, installed an image of Sarada with a Sri Chakra in front of her, and founded the Bharati Sampradaya to spread the philosophy of non-dualism.
• Sri Vidyashankara Temple was built in the 14th century in memory of Guru Vidyashankara with the assistance of the Vijayanagar rulers.
• The temple contains ruby images of Venugopala and Srinivasa, as well as a large pearl Nandi. Several inscriptions in the temple describe the Vijayanagar rulers’ contributions. It is one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Sringeri.
• The Vidyashankara temple is a one-of-a-kind structure that combines Hoysala and Dravidian architectural styles.
• The temple is made of golden stone and sits on a low platform in the middle of a large paved area.
• The Saradambda temple and surrounding structures also house a library, a Vedic school, an Adi Shankara shrine, and other monastery facilities.
• The temple has twelve pillars adorned with sculptures that represent the twelve zodiac signs. It is said that the sun’s rays fall on each of them in the order of the calendar or the twelve solar months.
• The pontiff went into meditation in an underground chamber near the bank of the river Tunga, and no one was allowed to open the door for the next twelve years.

Best Time to Visit Vidyashankara Temple

This place is very heavenly and spiritual, and you can visit it all year. However, the best time to visit this temple is during the monsoon and winter seasons. During the monsoon season, this location receives moderate to heavy rainfall, making it appear heavenly with its greenery and bringing freshness elsewhere.

Famous Festivals In Vidyashankara Temple

• Shravana: For happiness and wealth, many fasts, offerings, and mantras are performed during the fifth month of the Hindu calendar, known as Shravana.
• Mahashivaratri is a fasting ritual in the last week of February – March Begining. It is reminiscent of Lord Shiva bringing Goddess Parvati with him. Priests and the temple committee arrange a Grand Celebration.
• Saraswati Puja – Vasant Panchami also referred to as Saraswati Puja in honour of the Hindu goddess Saraswati, is a festival that marks the preparation for the arrival of spring.

How to Reach Vidyashankara Temple

By Air: The nearest airport is in Mangalore at a distance of 100 kilometres from the temple.

By Rail: The Udupi railway station is the closest railway station to Sringeri, located 80 kilometres away.

By Road:  Sringeri is connected through bus routes to most nearby places in Karnataka.

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