Shringeri Sharadamba Temple

Sringeri Sharadamba Temple
Name
Proper name	Sringeri Sri Sharadamba Temple
Geography
Coordinates	13°25′05″N 75°15′07″E / 13.418°N 75.252°ECoordinates: 13°25′05″N 75°15′07″E / 13.418°N 75.252°E
Country	India
State	Karnataka
Location	Sringeri
Culture
Primary deity	Sharada Devi (Saraswati)
Architecture
Architectural styles	South Indian, Kovil

Sri Sharadamba Temple (ಶೃಂಗೇರಿ ಶಾರದಾಂಬೆ) is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to goddess Saraswati in the holy town of Sringeri in Karnataka, India.

The Sharadamba Temple at Sringeri (Shringa giri in Sanskrit) is an 8th-century temple, founded by Sri Adi Shankaracharya. It housed a sandalwood statue of Shardamba in a standing posture, which was installed by Adi Shankarachaya until the Vijayanagara rulers and Sri Vidyaranya (12th Jagadguru) installed a seated gold statue of Sri Shardamba in the 14th century.

Shringeri Sharada Suprabhatha

The Shringeri Sharada Suprabhatha was adopted by the Shringeri matha in the late 1970s by his holiness Jagadguru Sri Abhinava Vidyatirtha swamiji. The very famous Sree Sharada Suprabhata Stotram was composed by Veda Brahma. Turuvekere Subrahmanya Vishweshwara Dikshith (also known as Sri. T. S. Vishweshwara Dikshith) for the divine Shringeri Sharada maata (God Mother).

Veda. Brahma. T. S. Vishweshwara Dikshith was born in Turuvekere, a small town in Tumkur district, and was the Sanskrit professor in Maharaja College in the Royal Kingdom of Mysore and resided at Mysore. He was the Aasthana Vidwan of Alankaara Shasthra of King Jayachamaraja Wodeyar Bahadur. Dikshith was a learned Sanskrit scholar in several Vedas (Yajur Veda in particular) and specialised in Ghana Krama — the essence of the Vedas. He composed the Sree Srikanteshwara Suprabhata and Sree Chandramoulishwara Suprabhata of Lord Srikanteshwara of Nanjangud and Sri Chandramoulishwara temple in V. V. Mohalla, Mysore respectively. He was a Ghana Pati and had mastered several shastras such as Alankara Shastra, Jyothishya Shastra (astrology), Tarka, and Vyakarana (grammar) to name a few. He received several awards and accolades from the Maharaja of Mysore and their holiness the pointiffs of Sringeri Sharada Peetham and Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam respectively for his contributions to Sanskrit literature.

Significance of the Sringeri Temple

It is believed that Lord Shiva gifted the crystal Chandramouleeshwara Linga to Sri Adi Shankaracharya. The Linga can still be visited and the Chandramouleeshwara Pooja is performed for the Linga every night at 8:30 PM. It is believed that Goddess Sharadambika is the incarnation of Goddess Saraswati, who came to Earth as Upaya Bharathi. It is a common faith that by worshiping her, one can receive blessings of Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu along with Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati. The ritual of Aksharabhyasa performed here is considered to be sacred and fulfilling. The parents of kids in the age of 2-5 are given a slate and chalk or alternatively, a plate of rice on which they pray to Goddess Saraswati and the Guru to impart good knowledge and education to their children.^[1]

References

1. "Sringeri Sharada Peetham".