Shringeri
Encyclopedia
Sringeri also written as Sringeri, Śŗngeri and Śŗngagiri is a hill town and taluk headquarters located in Chikmagalur district in the India
n state of Karnataka
, is the site of the first maţha
established by Adi Shankaracharya, Hindu
theologian and exponent of the Advaita Vedanta
philosophy, in the 8th century C.E. It is located on the banks of the river Tungā
.
Vibhandaka and his son Rishyashringa. Rishyashringa appears in an episode in the Bala-Kanda of the Ramayana
where a story, narrated by Vasishtha, relates how he brought rains to the drought-stricken kingdom of Romapada.
, near Badrinath), eastern (at Puri) and western (at Dwaraka
) quarters of India.
, Sringeri had a population of 4253. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Sringeri has an average literacy rate of 83%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 86%, and female literacy is 79%. In Sringeri, 8% of the population is under 6 years of age.
The Sharada temple, dedicated to the Goddess of learning and wisdom, has grown from a simple shrine dating to the time of Adi Shankaracharya. In the fourteenth century, Vidyaranya is said to have replaced the old sandalwood image with a stone and gold image. The temple structure itself continued to be made of wood till the early 20th century. After an unexpected fire that damaged the structure, the current structure was built in the traditional south Indian style of temple architecture.
The Vidyashankara temple was built in commemoration of the pontiff Vidyashankara, around 1357-58 C.E.. It was built by Vidyaranya, patron-saint of Harihara
and Bukka
, the brothers who founded the Vijayanagara empire
. The niches in the temple have a number of sculptures from Hindu, Buddhist and Jain mythologies. Inscriptions in the temple record contributions made by several Vijayanagara emperors but the temple was probably built on an earlier Hoysala site as it combines Hoysala and Vijayanagara architectural features. The temple architecture is also an exhibition of the astronomical expertise of medieval south Indian temple builders. The main temple hall features 12 pillars designated for the 12 signs of the zodiac. Windows and doors along the temple walls are arranged such that equinoxes sunrise views reach the deity. The northern and southern gates enable the sunrise view from the hall during solstices.
Watch Video Clip here
http://www.weedioh.com/Video.aspx?VideoId=2484
The matha at Sringeri is known as Sringeri Sharada Peetham
. It is one of the four Hindu
Advaita maths established by Adi Shankaracharya. It is also referred to as Dakshinamnaya Sringeri Sharada peetam. Following the tradition initiated by Adi Shankaracharya, the maţha is incharge of the Yajur Veda (the Krishna (Black) Yajurveda is more prevalent in South India, over which the maţha has authority in the Smarta tradition).The head of the matha is called Jagadguru (teacher of the world) and also carries the Shankaracharya
name as a title. The present Sringeri Shankaracharya is Shri Bharati Tirtha
.
centres of pilgrimage near Sringeri. Some of the major ones include Horanadu
Annapoorneshari Temple, Basrikatte Janardana Swami Temple,
Hariharapura
, Kigga
(Rishyashringa Temple), Agumbe
(Venugopalaswami Temple & Sunset Spot), Kalasa
( Kalaseshwara Temple), Balehonnur
- Rambapuri Matha, Koppa
(Veerabhadra Swamy & Chittemakki Mallikarjuna Swamy temple). Udupi, famous for Krishna matha, is a 3-hour journey by road.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state of Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, is the site of the first maţha
Matha
A matha ) is a term for monastic and similar religious establishments of Hinduism and Jainism. A matha is usually more formal, hierarchical, and rule-based than an ashram.-Advaita Mathas:...
established by Adi Shankaracharya, Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
theologian and exponent of the Advaita Vedanta
Advaita Vedanta
Advaita Vedanta is considered to be the most influential and most dominant sub-school of the Vedānta school of Hindu philosophy. Other major sub-schools of Vedānta are Dvaita and ; while the minor ones include Suddhadvaita, Dvaitadvaita and Achintya Bhedabheda...
philosophy, in the 8th century C.E. It is located on the banks of the river Tungā
Tunga River
The Tunga River is a river in Karnataka state, southern India. The river is born in the Western Ghats on a hill known as Varaha Parvata at a place called Gangamoola. From here, the river flows through two districts in Karnataka - Chikmagalur District and Shimoga District. It is 147 km long and...
.
Origin of the name
The name Sringeri is derived from Rishyashringa-giri, a nearby hill that is believed to have contained the hermitage of RishiRishi
Rishi denotes the composers of Vedic hymns. However, according to post-Vedic tradition, the rishi is a "seer" to whom the Vedas were "originally revealed" through states of higher consciousness. The rishis were prominent when Vedic Hinduism took shape, as far back as some three thousand years...
Vibhandaka and his son Rishyashringa. Rishyashringa appears in an episode in the Bala-Kanda of the Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
where a story, narrated by Vasishtha, relates how he brought rains to the drought-stricken kingdom of Romapada.
Legend
According to legend, Adi Shankaracharya 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 about to spawn. Impressed with the place where natural enemies had gone beyond their instincts, he stayed here for twelve years. Adi Shankaracharya also established mathas in the northern (at JyotirmathJyotirmath
Jyotirmath , also called Jyotir Math and Joshimath , is a city and a municipal board in Chamoli District in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is home to one of the four cardinal pīthas established by Adi Shankara.-Demographics:...
, near Badrinath), eastern (at Puri) and western (at Dwaraka
Dwarka
Dwarka also spelled Dvarka, Dwaraka, and Dvaraka, is a city and a municipality of Jamnagar district in the Gujarat state in India. Dwarka , also known as Dwarawati in Sanskrit literature is rated as one of the seven most ancient cities in the country...
) quarters of India.
Geography
Sringeri is located at 13.42°N 75.25°E. It has an average elevation of 672 metres (2204 ft).Demographics
As of 2001 India censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, Sringeri had a population of 4253. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Sringeri has an average literacy rate of 83%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 86%, and female literacy is 79%. In Sringeri, 8% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Places of interest
Sringeri is home to a number of historic temples. Of these, Sri Sharadamba temple and Sri Vidyashankara temple are very prominent.Sharadamba Temple
Vidyashankara Temple
Harihara
Harihara is the name of a combined deity form of both Vishnu and Shiva from the Hindu tradition. Also known as Shankaranarayana , Harihara is thus worshipped by both Vaishnavites and Shaivities as a form of the Supreme God, as well as being a figure of worship for other Hindu traditions in general...
and Bukka
Bukka
Bukka was an emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire from the Sangama Dynasty. Bukka patronised Telugu poet Nachana Soma....
, the brothers who founded the Vijayanagara empire
Vijayanagara Empire
The Vijayanagara Empire , referred as the Kingdom of Bisnaga by the Portuguese, was an empire based in South Indian in the Deccan Plateau region. It was established in 1336 by Harihara I and his brother Bukka Raya I of the Yadava lineage. The empire rose to prominence as a culmination of attempts...
. The niches in the temple have a number of sculptures from Hindu, Buddhist and Jain mythologies. Inscriptions in the temple record contributions made by several Vijayanagara emperors but the temple was probably built on an earlier Hoysala site as it combines Hoysala and Vijayanagara architectural features. The temple architecture is also an exhibition of the astronomical expertise of medieval south Indian temple builders. The main temple hall features 12 pillars designated for the 12 signs of the zodiac. Windows and doors along the temple walls are arranged such that equinoxes sunrise views reach the deity. The northern and southern gates enable the sunrise view from the hall during solstices.
Watch Video Clip here
http://www.weedioh.com/Video.aspx?VideoId=2484
Sringeri Sharada Peeta
Sringeri Sharada Peetham
Sringeri Sharada Peetham is the southern Advaita Vedanta matha. It is located in Shringeri. It is claimed that it is the first of the four original mathas established by Adi Shankara.-Location:...
. It is one of the four Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
Advaita maths established by Adi Shankaracharya. It is also referred to as Dakshinamnaya Sringeri Sharada peetam. Following the tradition initiated by Adi Shankaracharya, the maţha is incharge of the Yajur Veda (the Krishna (Black) Yajurveda is more prevalent in South India, over which the maţha has authority in the Smarta tradition).The head of the matha is called Jagadguru (teacher of the world) and also carries the Shankaracharya
Shankaracharya
Shankaracharya, is a commonly used title of heads of mathas in the Advaita Vedanta tradition. The title derives from Adi Shankara, a 9th century CE reformer of Hinduism. He is honored as Jagadguru, a title that was used earlier only to Lord Krishna...
name as a title. The present Sringeri Shankaracharya is Shri Bharati Tirtha
Sri Bharati Tirtha
Sri Bharati Tirtha is the Jagadguru and Shankaracharya of the Advaitic Sringeri Sharada Peetham. Born in Narasaraopet in Guntur District of Andhra Pradesh to a pious Telugu Vaidiki Velanadu Brahmin couple, Shri Tangirala Venkateshwara Avadhani and Smt. Ananthalakshamma, he became a disciple of...
.
Zodiac Pillars
The twelve pillars in the Vidyashankar temple are popularly known as Rashistambhas (zodiacal pillars). Symbols of the twelve divisions of the zodiac are engraved on these pillars. The temple is an architectural marvel. Among the many delicate carvings, lions that are engraved in biped positions on the pillars may be mentioned. There are stone balls inside the growling faces of the lions and they can be moved inside their mouths. It is said that the design of the pillars involved certain astronomical concepts. For example, the first rays of the rising sun fall on specific pillars with the zodiacal symbol on the pillar corresponding to the position of the sun.Places of interest near Sringeri
There are a number of prominent HinduHindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
centres of pilgrimage near Sringeri. Some of the major ones include Horanadu
Horanadu
Horanadu is a Hindu holy city located in Chickmagalur district, Karnataka, India. The deity at the Annapoorneshwari Temple at Horanadu is Annapurneshwari...
Annapoorneshari Temple, Basrikatte Janardana Swami Temple,
Hariharapura
Hariharapura
Hariharapura is a village located in the Koppa Taluk, Chikmagalur district in the state of Karnataka, India. The place has a Matt of goddess Sharadamba on the banks of the River Tunga. The place is serene amidst forest, Arecanut farms and rice fields and surrounded by small hills...
, Kigga
Kigga
Kigga is a village near Sringeri. Rishya Shringeshwara temple is located in this village. It is famous for Rain God. near by mountain is called Narasimha parvata . which is the origin of five rivers. Sirimane falls is nearby. Of late this village has been in news for naxalites presence.-External...
(Rishyashringa Temple), Agumbe
Agumbe
Agumbe is a village located in the Shimoga district in the state of Karnataka, India. Lying in the Thirthahalli taluk and the Malnad region, Agumbe is among the places in India that receive very heavy rainfall earning it the sobriquet, "Cherrapunji of the South". It is also the home of the Agumbe...
(Venugopalaswami Temple & Sunset Spot), Kalasa
Kalasa
Kalasa is a holy temple-town located in Chickmagalur district in Karnataka. Kalasa is home to the Kalaseshwara Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. Kalasa lies 92 Kilometres South-west of Chickmagalur and is located on the banks of the Bhadra River....
( Kalaseshwara Temple), Balehonnur
Balehonnur
Balehonnur is a small city in the Chikkamagaluru district of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located on the bank of the Bhadra River and is a green, picturesque place, with an average rainfall of 80 inches a year and is dominated by coffee estates, arecanut, paddy fields, pepper, vanilla...
- Rambapuri Matha, Koppa
Koppa, India
Koppa is a panchayat town in Chikmagalur district in the Indian state of Karnataka. The town is famous for coffee and Tea estates. Arabica and Robusta varieties of coffee are grown here.. Koppa encovers 22 Gram Panchayats, one Town Panchayat and 3 Hobilis. Megunda Hobili is famous for Coffee. A no...
(Veerabhadra Swamy & Chittemakki Mallikarjuna Swamy temple). Udupi, famous for Krishna matha, is a 3-hour journey by road.
Where to Stay
- Sringeri has guest houses run by the temple administration. Visit Sringeri Mutt web site for details. There are many private lodges also.
Best time to visit
- Since Sringeri is a typical MalnadMalnadMalenadu is a region of Karnataka state in South India. Malenadu covers the western and eastern slopes of the Western Ghats, roughly 100 kilometers in width. Malenadu covers portions of the Shimoga, Chikmagalur, Uttara Kannada, Kodagu and Hassan districts....
region, the best time to visit is between October and March. The nearest airport to Sringeri is Mangalore International AirportMangalore International AirportMangalore Airport, formerly known as Bajpe Airport, is a domestic and customs airport serving the coastal city of Mangalore, India...
.
External links
- Some offbeat photos of Sringeri
- Shankara Sringeri