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| Shankaracharya temple, Srinagar, kashmir/www.google.com |
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| Shankaracharya temple, Srinagar, kashmir. /en.wikipedia.org |
Atop the 1000-feet tall Shankaracharya Hill on the Zabarwan Range in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India is located a famous
Shiva temple called the ''Shankaracharya Temple''. It also goes by the name of Jyeshteshwara Temple; it is above the valley floor, overlooking the city of Srinagar. and the famous Dal lake. There is a memorial to the Adi Shankaracharya inside the temple and devotees come to this temple during the Amarnath Yatra.
What is so special about this temple in a place dominated by Muslims now? The great Hindu philosopher and Advaidha exponent Sri Adi Sankara from Kalady, Kerala, as part of his long padayatra across came to this place and visited this Shiva temple. Since then, it has been called Sri Shankaracharya temple. This being an ancient temple dating back to 200 BC, it is regarded as a sacred place by the Buddhists. Though this holy place of worship is an ancient one, the present structure, it is believed, was built way back in the 9th century AD, presumably before the arrival of Islam in this part of Kashmir.
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| Shankaracharya temple en.wikipedia.org |
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| Memorial to Sri Sankaracharya, Sri sankaracharya temple, Srinagar,en.wikipedia.org |
Photos taken in 1868 CE by John Burke (photographer)............
Some historians are of the view that Buddhism was a major religion in this part and the present temple was a Buddhist temple. It was Sri Adi Shankaracharya who, on his visit here, converted into a Hindu temple dedicated to Sri Shiva. This being a hypothesis, the origin of this temple is a contentious issue. However, Pandit Anand Koul (1924) was of the view that the temple was originally built by a local Hindu king "Sandiman" who, ruled this part from 2629 to 2564 BC. The temple underwent some repair and modification under the ruler King Gopaditya (426–365 BC) and by King Lalitaditya (697–734 A.D.). Early Muslim rulers like Sikandar, Zain-ul-Abidin and Sheikh Ghulam Mohi-ud-din, (1841–46),never touche the temple and the two latter rulers did carry out some repair work.
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| Shankaracharya temple, Kashmir www.google.com |
Prior to 1800 accessing the hill top temple was a tedious one and it was the Dogra King Gulab Singh (1846-1857 AD) who built the steps to the hill from Durga Naag temple side. The Maharajah of Mysore on his visit here in 1925 had the electrical installations made at the temple. In 196, Shankaracharaya of Dwarkapeetham had the statue of Adi Shankaracharaya installed in the temple. In 1974 the Government of J&K constructed the road that goes to the TV antenna near the top of the hill.
Shivaism was a dominant sect in this part of Kashmir and the Himalayan ranges and Sri Kailashagiri provided ample opportunities. The serene atmosphere and quiet ambiance provided spiritual exhilaration. It is to be noted that the great spiritual works of Adi Shankaracharya, ''Soundarya Lahari'' was composed atop the Gopadari Hill. The union of Sri Shiva and Devi Shakti, as in Shaktism, gave rise to the Shakti-Shri Chakra, the symbol of Devi (Goddess), as Sri Yantra, as mentioned in 'Shankara Digvijay' - Life history of Shankaracharya.
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| www.google.com |
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| www.google.com/ |
The devotees have to climb 243 steps to reach the temple. Entrance to the hill is being guarded by army personnel due to threats from fanatics instigated by the rogue nation Pakistan controlled by the army. The temple remains open till 8 pm and cars are not allowed after 5 pm.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shankaracharya_Temple
Kashur Encyclopedia Volume one Published by Jammu & Kashmir Academy Of Art Culture and Languages, Srinagar 1986 Page 302
Sankara Digvijaya: The Traditional Life of Sri Sankaracharya