Shankaracharya Temple in Srinagar

The tourist spot that you must not miss while going for sightseeing in Srinagar is the Shankaracharya Temple in Srinagar. This temple is located on the Takht-e-Suleiman hill. If you want to visit the Shankaracharya Temple in Srinagar then you have to climb up to a height of 1100 feet above the main city. According to legend, Raja Gopadatya commissioned the building of this temple in 371 BC and at that time it was known by the name Gopadri. When SHankaracharya came to Kashmir with the purpose of reviving traditional Hinduism about 10 ten centuries ago, then it is said, that he stayed at this temple. Henceforth, the temple got the name of Shankaracharya Temple in Srinagar.

At the Shankracharya Temple in Srinagar, Siva is the main deity and the temple is regarded as the oldest one in the Kashmir valley. Much renovation work has been carried on for years in this temple. The first repair work is believed to be done during the Lalitadiyta’s reign. Then, when the Shankaracharya Temple of Srinagar was damaged by an earthquake, repair work was carried on by Zain-ul-Abideen, under the Governorship of Sheikh Mohi-ud-Din. The stone steps, that you find at the passage to the shrine were build during the rule of the Dogra king, Maharaja Gulab Singh. Modernity touched the Shankaracharya Temple of Srinagar in 1925, when the electrification of the temple was done. The electrification of the Shankracharya Temple was done in 1925.

A visit to the Shankaracharya Temple at Srinagar will let you know that it is not only important from religious point of view but it has lots of architectural uniqueness. You will see an octagonal platform supporting the Shankaracharya Temple at Srinagar, which can be accessed by a flight of stairs, which approximately is hundred in number. In the side walls of the temple you will find some inscriptions of huge historical importance. You will find a Persian inscription at the temple wall that goes back to Emperor Shah Jahan’s time. The main shrine has a circular cell from where if you look down you can see the magnificent view of the beautiful Srinagar valley. The inner chamber of the Shankaracharya Temple of Srinagar now after renovation work has a modern ceiling.