01The cobra and the frog
The math’s katha says that Shankaracharya, walking by the Tunga, saw a cobra spread its hood to shade a frog in labour from the midday sun. A place where natural enemies lived in peace was right for a seat of learning, and he founded his first math here, with Sharada, the goddess of learning, as its deity and his disciple Sureshvara as its head. Sringeri is also linked with Rishyashringa of the Ramayana, from whom it takes its name. The line of acharyas has continued unbroken to the present 36th Jagadguru, Sri Bharati Tirtha, and his successor Sri Vidhushekhara Bharati.
02Vidyaranya, Vijayanagara and 1791
In 1338 Vidyaranya built a stone temple over the samadhi of his guru Vidyatirtha, called Vidyashankara, its twelve pillars marked with the signs of the zodiac so that the morning sun falls on each in its month. In 1346 Harihara I and his brothers came to Sringeri to celebrate their conquests and made grants to the math, which their inscription records. In 1791 a Maratha army under Raghunath Rao Patwardhan, at war with Tipu Sultan, raided Sringeri, killed people and plundered the math, and the Sharada murti was displaced. The Jagadguru wrote to Tipu, whose letters in reply, published in 1916, send grain and money for the reconsecration of Sharada.
The life of this place
- 1338Vidyaranya builds the Vidyashankara temple.
- 1346Harihara I and his brothers celebrate their conquests at Sringeri with grants to the math.
- 1791A Maratha force under Raghunath Rao Patwardhan raids and plunders the math.
- 1916Tipu Sultan’s letters to the Sringeri Jagadguru are published by the Mysore Archaeological Department.
About 100 km from Chikkamagaluru through the Western Ghats. The math feeds every visitor; feed the fish at the Tunga ghat.
