The Sharadamba Temple is located in Shringeri which is a town in Chikmagalur district. Adi Shankaracharya, the famous Hindu practitioner set up his practice at this place. Located on the banks of the Tungabhadra River, the Sharadamba Temple dates back to as early as the 8th century. The temple is dedicated to the goddess of wisdom. Praying to the goddess is said to improve one’s learning capacity. The young and the old visit this temple to offer their prayers. Till the early 20th century the temple was entirely built of wood. But after a fire broke out and damaged the structure, the Sharadamba Temple is now a typical South Indian temple. There was an old image of the goddess made of sandalwood. This image was replaced with a gold version and placed in the temple. From what was a simple shrine during the time of Adi Shankaracharya, the temple now attracts thousands of devotees from all over the country and the world. Adi Shankaracharya initially chose the place that is now the site of the temple as a gurukul. He taught his disciples the tenets of Hinduism from this place.
Once he was walking by the Tunga River when he saw a cobra. The serpent’s head was raised. The serpent was providing shelter to a spawning frog from the hot sun. This was an amazing sight. He decided to stay here, and he did stay for twelve long years. The temple is one of the holiest in the state amongst places to visit in Chikmagalur. Parents bring their children to seek the blessings of the goddess. Students attempting important examinations come here to seek blessings. Anyone in the pursuit of wisdom and knowledge can come here and seek the blessings of the goddess. This is a relevant activity considering that this place was originally used to teach disciples. Hence this place is all about religion and learning.
Distance from Chikmagalur : 86 Km
