Sringeri

Sringeri, famous for a number of historic temples, is situated in the district of Chikkamagaluru in the state of Karnataka. This hill town got its name from Rishyashringa-giri, which is a nearby hill. Adi Shankara, who was the exponent of Advaita Vedanta Philosophy established the first matha (monastery in Hinduism) - Sringeri Sharada Peeta- in this historical town which is situated on the banks of the river Tunga. Some of the temples in Sringeri dates back to 1150 AD when it was constructed and the architecture within the temples and other historical sites are timeless. This is one of the major reasons why this town attracts a number of tourists from within India and from all over the world.

The combined view of both the Sri Sharadamba Temple (on the right) and the Sri Vidyashankara Temple inside the Sringeri Sharada Peeta complex. Image Courtesy: Ashok666

Vidhyashankara temple, Sri Sharadamba temple, and Parshwanath Basadi Jain temple are the most famous temples located in this town. The astronomical expertise of the medieval temple architects can be seen in the architecture of Vidhyashankara temple.  Kollur, Kalasa, and Hornadu are also temples of historic importance that are located nearby.  Hanumanagundi falls situated at a distance of 36 kilometers and Srimane falls which is at a distance of 12 kilometers, are two of the waterfalls in Sringeri that attracts tourists from all over. The best time to visit Sringeri would be from October to March. Read more about Sringeri