Sringeri Temple (Dakshinamnaya Sringeri Sharada Peetham)

Sringeri is a beautiful town, located on the banks of the river Tunga in the Western Ghats hill range. Though there are around 40 temples in this small town, the primary draw here is dedicated to the Goddess of Wisdom, Shri Sharadamba. The town was established by the renowned 8th century saint Sri Adi Shankaracharya. He was an able philosopher who spent 12 years of time here in Sringeri in his 32 years of lifetime. The presiding deity Sharada Devi was installed by the saint himself. The idol is seated on a wheel (chakra) and is adorned with so many clothes, jewels, and flowers. There are also shrines dedicated to Hindu Gods and one for Adi Shankara.

Archaeologically, Vidyashankara shrine, built with the aid of the Vijayanagar rulers in the 14th century is the most beautiful temple inside the complex. The sculpted stone structure standing on a high platform in a unique semi-circular form. It is a mix of the Hoysala and Dravidian architecture style. There are six doorways leading into the temple and has 12 pillars representing 12 zodiac signs. Several inscriptions describing contributions made by the Vijayanagar emperors are seen around the temple. The main sanctum here is Lord Shiva in the form of Linga. Vidya Ganapati in black stone is to his left and on the right a Devi in the form of Durga.

Outer walls of the temple are full of sculptures depicting the deities. A little behind the complex is a small but beautiful temple dedicated to Adi Shankara with his life story painted on the outside walls of the temple. Another famous attraction of the town is the Sharada Peetam Mutt was established by the saint himself. 2 more mutts had been installed by the saint in Dwarka and Kanchipuram. All these 3 mutts still follow the tradition dating back to their inception time. The mutt has many buildings, mostly the last remains of the saints that followed Shankaracharya. The Peetham has a library of Sanskrit manuscripts. A visit to Sringeri is a must for spiritual souls and also for nature lovers.