Sringeri

Overview

Sringeri stands on the Tunga river in Chikkamagaluru district, at roughly 672 m in the Western Ghats, and it is the seat of the Sringeri Sharada Peetham, a monastic institution founded by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century. Pilgrims form most of the crowd, along with quiet-hill travellers who want a small town with a river and a few waterfalls close by, and October to February is the easiest stretch for walking between its temples.

Two temples anchor the town. The Sharadamba temple honours the goddess whose image Adi Shankaracharya is said to have consecrated here, and the town takes its name from Rishyashringa, a sage tied to the hill around it. The Vidyashankara temple, dated to 1342 CE, is the town's showpiece of stonework, with pillars arranged by zodiac sign and aligned with the sun. Along the river, worshippers feed the fish at designated spots. A local story says the founder chose the site after seeing a cobra spread its hood to shade a frog.

Each autumn the Peetham holds Sharannavaratri, a festival that runs for twelve days and is the busiest period in the calendar; rooms and roads fill, so plan around it either way. Temple timings shift with events and the Jagadguru's schedule, so check them just before you go.

Beyond the town, the road to Kigga runs about 15 km to a Rishyashringa temple, and Sirimane Falls lies on the same route, reached down a short flight of steps. Agumbe is about 24 km away. Rain is heavy here, about 3,949 mm a year, with the worst from mid-July to mid-September, and winter temperatures can fall to about 10 C.

Udupi, 80 km away, is the nearest railway link, and Mangaluru, about 110 km, has the nearest airport; by road the journeys take about 2.5 hours from Udupi and 4 hours from Mangaluru. Shivamogga is 90 to 105 km away, Mysuru about 260 km and Bengaluru 315 to 360 km, with buses from Mangaluru, Udupi, Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, Dharmasthala, Kollur and Koppa.

Known for

A monastic institution founded by Adi Shankaracharya, with a Sharadamba temple