We wanted to visit Sringeri for a long time, and finally we got the chance to visit one day. We started from Mangalore early in the morning; the distance from there to Sringeri is around 110 km and takes 2.5 to 3.5 hours. We would be passing through the Kudremukh forest area.
The journey was thrilling, we had a clear blue sky with an occasional white cloud passing by, on both sides, there were coffee plantations with steep driveways, and big houses were scattered far apart with beautiful gardens. I noticed that most of these gardens were adorned with bright red hibiscus flowers.
Part of our journey took us through a ghat section, and our driver, Jayaram, navigated the car with utmost care and patience.
On the way, we came across the Tunga River, skipping down cheerfully from the mountains, 18 kilometres from Bhadravathi, It joins the Bhadra River to become the Tungabhadra River.
Sringeri is a hill town in the middle of the forest and is the Taluk headquarters of the Chikkamagaluru district of Karnataka.
As per Hindu Mythology, it constantly rains in Sringeri and particularly in June, July and August, it is difficult to reach due to the heavy rains
The name Sringeri is derived from Rishyashringa-giri, a nearby hill which is believed to have housed the hermitage of Rishi Vibhandaka and his son.
According to existing legend, Adi Sankaracharya is said to have selected the site as the place to stay and teach his disciples, because one day, when he was walking by the Tunga River, he saw a cobra with a raised hood, it was providing shelter from the hot sun to a frog undergoing labour. Astonished that natural enemies had acted against their instincts, he felt that this land had divine powers, and he stayed here for twelve years.
Sringeri was established by Sri Adi Shankaracharya, who founded the Dakshinamnaya Sringeri Sharada Peetham, the first of four monasteries he created to spread Advaita Vedanta.
Sri Adi Shankaracharya also established other 3 Mathas, the northern one at Jyotirmath near Badrinath, on the shores of the Alakananda river , Eastern Govardhan Math, at Puri and Western at Kalikamath at Dwaraka on the Gomathi river .
After freshening up, we went to the Tunga River, which was flowing placidly. Near the shore, there were very large black fish, eagerly jumping out of the water to grab the food being offered by the pilgrims. These fish are considered sacred and so are not caught for human consumption.
Apparently, Adi Shankaracharya used to go to the other shore for meditation every day. Once there were heavy floods and the water level suddenly increased. Sensing Adi Shankaracharya’s dilemma, a big fish is said to have taken him on its back and crossed to the other shore.
Presently, there is a hanging bridge on the river to go to the other shore, where Narasimhavanam the site where the guru meditated is located. Beside it, one can see a deer park, Sanjeevani Sanskrit Patashala, and samdhis of many Acharya.
We could see people going about their work silently and some were seen meditating. It was a very serene and pious place.
The present presiding head (36th Jagadguru Shankaracharya) of the Sringeri Sharada Peetham is Sri Bharati Tirtha Mahaswamiji, who has led since 1989. His successor-designate (37th Jagadguru) is Sri Vidhushekhara Bharati Mahaswamiji, appointed in 2015.
The main Sarada temple initially had a Srichakram on a rock and then a sandalwood statue installed by Sankaracharya in 8th century. Later, it was built in stone and in 1960, the then Peetadipathi Srividya Teertha Swami had a beautiful golden statue of Ammavaru made and installed.
The temple is beautiful and in the sanctum, we find a statue of Saradamba ammavaru, her left hand holding the Amrutha kalasam and a book , her right hand holds the Rudraksha mala, she has a smiling face with shining eyes, I looked at her in entranced devotion.
Disciples believe that Guru Rupini Trimurthis and their wives reside in the statue, and regular archanas with Lalitha Sahasra nama are performed here .
There is a big hall and Pradikshana Mantapa hall and Rajagopuram was built in 2014, its height of 127 feet. All Peetadhipathis, before starting any important work, take permission from Ammavaru till today.
Opposite the temple is the Aksharabyasa mantapam where getting the Aksharabyasam a ritual where children are initiated into learning by writing their first letters on a slate,it is believed to bring powerful and good results.
The day we went to Sringeri was the Peetadhipathi’s birthday, and 100 Bramhacharis had performed an extensive homam; just standing near the Yaga Mandapam gave us a holy aura and vibes.
The temple has received significant support from the Vijayanagara Empire and, later, from Tipu Sultan, who provided funds for its restoration after it was damaged in the 1790s.
The temple is a major centre for Navaratri, a significant festival, celebrated over 11 days with grand processions and a Golden Chariot (Rathotsava) on the final days and Shankara Jayanti, which commemorates the birth of Adi Shankaracharya with special prayers and scholarly debates.
Another temple, the Vidyasankara Temple, has been constructed in memory of 10 th Peetadipathi, who had built Sarada Devi Temple, its uniqueness being its twelve pillars, which showcase zodiac signs, designed to receive sun rays during specific months .
We later visited Chenna Kesavalayam, which was beautiful but incomplete; it has a spotless spatika Chandra Mouleeswara lingam brought from Varanasi
When this mutt was started, Kalabhairava, Anjaneya, Durga and Kalimata temples were established by Adi Shankaracharya on its four sides.
Sringeri has now become a renowned centre of learning and devotion, and the best time to visit it is from October to March.
The Temple Trust offers free food and accommodation for pilgrims. We had our food in the evening, it was served hot and was very tasty.
We particularly had a very divine experience, we had gone there in hot summer and on a special day, we had difficulty finding accommodation and finally with great effort we got a room with a tin roof and a single fan whirling away lazily, my hubby was doubtful if I could sleep in that room without AC but I said let us take it , after darshan and dinner, we came to the room and to my surprise it had rained profusely and weather had cooled down, I slept like a baby, I suppose it was only divine intervention.
Our holy trip to Sringeri, though short, was very memorable.
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