Sringeri

At a distance of 318 km from Bangalore, 104 km from Mangalore, 99 km from Shimoga, 88 km from Chikmagalur, 256 km from Mysore and 79 km from Udupi, Sringeri in Chikmagalur district is one of the important pilgrimage centers in South India. Sringeri is well known for Sharada Peetham, the first and foremost of the 4 Peethams established by the renowned 8th century saint Sri Adi Shankaracharya. It is also one of the most famous tourist places to visit in Karnataka, mainly as a pilgrimage destination.

Sringeri is situated at an altitude of 2789 ft on the banks of River Tunga bounded by Western Ghats. The name Sringeri is derived from Rishyashringa-giri, a nearby hill that is named after Sage Rishyashringa. Hyder Ali annexed Ikkeri to the kingdom of Mysore. Tipu Sultan provided financial aid to Sringeri for the reconstruction of temples.

According to the legend, once Adi Shankaracharya was wandering on the banks of the Tunga River at Sringeri, he saw a cobra spreading its hood to protect a pregnant frog from the hot sun. Struck by the kindness of the cobra towards its natural enemy, the Shankaracharya felt that Sringeri was truly unique then he built Sharada Peetham here. Sringeri Sharada Peetham maintains number of Vedic schools and temples across India. Adi Guru Sankaracharya constructed four Peethams on four directions of India. They are Sringeri Mutt in South, Jyotir Mutt near Badrinath (Uttaranchal) in North, Govardhana Mutt near Puri in East and Kalika Mutt in Dwaraka in West.

Sringeri is also famous for the wonderful Vidyashankara Temple built in 14th century, one of the noteworthy sites to witness Vijayanagar style of architecture. This temple is famous for its 12 pillars which are said to coincide with the zodiac signs. In addition, the Sringeri temple is built as per astronomical concepts. Chennakeshava Temple, Sharadamba Temple and Sri Parswanath Jain Tirthankara Temple are the other highlights of the region. Adi Shankara Temple, Kere Ajnaneya temple, Malayala Brahma Temple, Mallikarjuna Temple, Torana Ganapati Temple, Kigga, Sirimane Falls, Agumbe, Kudremukh are other attractions here.

Sharada Navaratri is the major festival, which is celebrated with great zeal and show. During the festival large number of pilgrims visit Sringeri.

Mangalore Airport is the nearest airport, which is 101 km from Sringeri. Udupi Railway Station is the nearest railway station, which is about 79 km from Sringeri. Buses are available from Bangalore, Chikmagalur, Mangalore, Shimoga and Udupi to reach Sringeri.

The best time to visit Sringeri is from September to March while the peak season is from October to February. Usually it takes full day to visit places in Sringeri.

Temple Timings: 6 AM - 2 PM & 5 PM - 9 PM