Shankaracharya Temple

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India /Jammu & Kashmir /Srinagar /Srinagar

Sight Address : Shankaracharya Temple is situated in the Srinagar district on the hill known as Takht-e-Suleiman. Edit

Detail InformationEdit

Shankaracharya temple is situated in the Srinagar district on the hill known as Takht-e-Suleiman. It is housed at a height of 1100 ft. above surface level of the main city on the hill. It is believed that Raja Gopadatya got the temple constructed in 371 BC, giving it the name of Gopadri. The great philosopher Shankaracharya is supposed to have stayed here when he visited Kashmir to revive Sanatan Dharma. This incident, which took place ten centuries ago, led to the renaming of the temple as the Shankracharya temple. The Shankracharya Mandir of Kashmir, India is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is thought to be the oldest shrine in the Kashmir valley. The temple, as it stands today, has undergone many repairs throughout its life. The first repair is supposed to have been done under the rule of Lalitaditya. The second repairs were undertaken by Zain-ul-Abideen after the temple got damaged in an earthquake. These repairs were carried out during the Governorship of Sheikh Mohi-ud-Din. Maharaja Gulab Singh, a Dogra ruler, is credited for the stone steps that form a part of the passage to the shrine. The electrification of the Shankracharya temple was done in 1925. The temple is of great importance, not only from the point of view of religion, but also from architectural viewpoint. A high octagonal platform supports the temple, approached by a flight of approximately hundred steps. The sidewalls of the steps once bore some valuable inscriptions. There is also a Persian inscription inside the temple, dating back to Emperor Shahjahan’s rule. The main surviving shrine, consisting of a circular cell, provides a magnificent view of the valley below. The inner chamber of the Shankaracharya temple, after being repaired, is now covered with a modern ceiling.

Shankaracharya Temple in Srinagar

HistoryEdit

Shankaracharya temple was visited by Adi Shankara and has ever since been associated with him, after whom the hill/temple got the name shankaraharya. It is also regarded as being sacred by Buddhists, who call the mandir “Pas-Pahar. The temple was originally a buddhist temple nearly 2500 years ago and the shiv ling was placed inside the temple by Adi Shankaracharya on his visit to Kashmir and the temple became a Hindu temple. “The hill is also referred to as Takht i Suleiman (Throne of Solomon) and the temple also called “Throne of Solomon. “It is believed that king Solomon came to worship on the hill which makes the place sacred from ancient times. According to Pandit Anand Koul (1924) as repaired by King Gopaditya (426 – 365 BC) and by King Lalitaditya (697–734).Its roof was also repaired by Zain-ul-Abidin after an earthquake; later, its dome was repaired by Sheikh Ghulam Mohiuddin, a Sikh Governor (1841–1846).This hill was called Jetha Larak and afterwards it was named Gopadari Hill. Some are of opinion that the temple at the top was originally built by King Sandiman (2629-2564 B.c.). There were 300 golden and silver images in it. About 1368 B.C. King Gopadittya founder of Gopkar repaired it and bestowed to the Brahmans of Arya Varta, agrahars which he built on its top. King Sandimati (34 B.C.-A.D. 13) improved and added to the temple. Zain-Ul-Abdin (1421-1472 A.D.) repaired its roof which had tumbled down by an earthquake. Sheikh Ghulam Mohi-Din, a Governor (1841-46) also repaired its dome. Recently, the dome was repaired by Swami Shivratnanand saraswati at the request of a Nepali Sadhu who gave him financial aid. The temple is under the control of the Dharmartha Department. They have built two small buildings for the sadhus who live there. There is at the place an old stone shed which is called ‘Parvatihund bana koth’ (the store-house of goddess Parvati). The temple was built by Jalauka, the son of the great Emperor Ashoka, about 200 B.C.King Gopadatta of Kashmir who ruled from 79 to 109AD, rebuilt it and dedicated the temple to Jyesteswara. The hill was called Gopadri and the village at its foot on the south is still called Gopkar.

Must SeeEdit

Popular

Visiting TimeEdit

7.30 am to 5 pm

Closed OnEdit

N.A.

Best Season to VisitEdit

April to June

Best Time To VisitEdit

Morning, Afternoon

Time Required for SightseeingEdit

30 Minutes Minimum

Ticket Required : No Edit

Individual National Adult Rs. : N.A.

Kids Rs. : N.A.

Individual Foreigner Adult Rs. : N.A.

Kids Rs. : N.A.

Still Photo Camera Rs. : N.A.

Video Camera Rs. : N.A.

Guide Required : No Edit

Approximate cost: N.A.

Dress Code (If Any) : No Edit

Dress Require: N.A.

Restaurants NearbyAdd / Edit

Hotel York ; Hotel York Dal Gate, Srinagar Kashmir, 190001 ; Ph/M – 0194 2472218, 0194 2480715 ; Food Serve – Hotel York, serves both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food, Kashmiri Wazwan, Continental, Fast food and Chinese treats.

How to ReachEdit

Taxi : The shankarcharya temple is easily accessible by taxi from airport and railway station.

BUS : Many tourist bus service provides the services to reach from many neighboring cities to Srinagar. Srinagar is well connected to Chandigarh (630 km), Jammu (290 km), Delhi (876 km), Leh (434 km) and Phalgam (96 km) by tourist bus services. and they charge about Rs 4-5 per km.

Train : Srinagar railway station or Nowgam railway station is railway station of the city of Srinagar in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.The station, in nowgam, is 8 km from the city centre.Local services only: Qazigund–Anantnag–Srinagar–Baramulla.

Air : Srinagar’s sparkling new airport is connected with many airports of the major cities in India. Regular flights operate between Srinagar and Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh and the tickets are moderately priced. International travelers get the connecting flights from Delhi International airport, which is at a distance of 876 km from Srinagar.
The following all ﬂ y to Delhi and/or Jammu. Air India also ﬂies to Leh on Wednesdays.
After getting down at the Air Port, take an auto-rickshaw, bus or hire a taxi to reach the destination within the city.
Air India (2450247; www.airindia.in; Boulevard)
GoAir (www.goair.in)
IndiGo (www.goindigo.in)
Jet Airways (2480801; Residency Rd)
JetLite (www.jetlite.com)
Kingfisher (www.flykingfisher.com)
SpiceJet (www.spicejet.com)
Srinagar domestic airport is behind a high security barrier where therecan be long queues for baggage and body screening. You’ll need to show an air ticket (or e-ticket conﬁrmation print-out) to get through so don’t come to the airport hoping to buy a ticket on departure.

Others : Autorikshaws from Rs.25 for short hops,Rs.50 across town, around Rs.600 for a full-day tour including Mughal gardens, Old City and Hazratbal.

Things to CarryEdit

Light sweaters, woolen cloths, medicine, cold creams, bottle of drinking water.

Safety / WarningEdit

The climate is extremely cold in winters and the water on the lake can freeze if the temperature goes below zero degrees. Beware of stepping on this as the ice being thin may crack and one can fall into cold freezing, icy water.