Sringeri

Sringeri, a quiet temple town on the banks of the Tunga River in Karnataka’s Western Ghats, is one of the most important centres of Advaita Vedanta in India. Its history is closely associated with Adi Shankaracharya, the 8th-century philosopher who is believed to have founded the Sringeri Sharada Peetham here. Tradition says Shankaracharya chose Sringeri after witnessing a cobra spreading its hood to shade a pregnant frog from the sun—a sign of natural compassion that, to him, symbolised an ideal place for spiritual learning.

Over time, Sringeri developed into a major monastic and educational hub, dedicated to Goddess Sharadamba (Saraswati, the deity of learning). Successive Shringeri Shankaracharyas maintained an unbroken lineage, guiding religious practice, Sanskrit scholarship and Vedic teaching. Kings of the Vijayanagara Empire, the Hoysalas, and later Mysore rulers patronised the matha, granting lands and building/renovating temples, which helped Sringeri remain influential through changing political eras.

During the colonial period, Sringeri continued as a respected spiritual authority, adapting to new times while preserving scriptural teaching and ritual traditions. In modern India, the matha runs schools, colleges, Vedic pathsalas and social projects, and pilgrims visit the Sharadamba Temple and riverside ghats year-round. Thus, Sringeri’s history weaves together philosophy, temple worship, royal patronage and continuous learning over more than a thousand years.