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Secondary sourceArtifact1338

Vidyashankara Temple, Sringeri

Vijayanagara patrons (Harihara and Bukka era) · 1338

A 14th-century temple at the Sringeri matha, built under Vijayanagara royal patronage, marking the institution linked to Shankara.

This temple at Sringeri, a matha tradition links to Shankara, shows the later institutional legacy built around his name.

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Stone temple with a tall tiered tower topped by a golden finial, its walls carved with rows of figures and pillars, set in a paved courtyard with people walking and a golden gopuram tower visible at right under a grey sky.
Vidyashankara Temple, Sringeri, built 1338 under Vijayanagara patronage. Sringeri Sharada Peetham.

About this source

What it is

The Vidyashankara Temple stands at Sringeri, built in 1338 under the patrons of the early Vijayanagara empire, Harihara and Bukka. It is held and maintained by the Sringeri Sharada Peetham.

Why it matters

The temple shows how royal power supported religious institutions centuries after Shankara's lifetime. Sringeri is one of the mathas (monasteries) traditionally linked to Shankara, and this building reflects the wealth and prestige the institution had gained by the 14th century, long after its founding was attributed to him.

Look closer

  • Who paid for this temple, and what does that tell you about the relationship between kings and religious institutions?
  • Why might a monastery want a grand stone temple built in its honor centuries after its founder's death?
  • What is carved on the walls, and what might these images have taught visitors?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Adi Shankaracharya on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Title page of 'The Vedanta-Sutras with the Commentary by Sankarakarya, translated by George Thibaut, Part I', published at the Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1890, All rights reserved.Book

Primary source

Brahma Sutra Bhashya

Adi Shankara · c. early 8th century

Scan of a manuscript page in Devanagari Sanskrit script, written in dark brown ink on aged, yellowed paper. Dense lines of text fill the page, with a marginal note at the upper left and a thin vertical border line at the edges.Document

Secondary source

Manuscript of Shankara's Aitareya Upanishad Commentary

1593 CE (manuscript copy)

Painting of a seated robed sage in red with a forehead mark and beaded necklaces, teaching four disciples seated on animal skins by a forest pond with lotuses and two swans, a hut and mountains behind.Painting

Secondary source

Portrait of Adi Shankara with Disciples

Raja Ravi Varma

Kedarnath Temple, a stone shrine with a golden-yellow sloped roof and blue trim, set against snow-capped Himalayan peaks and green mountain slopes under cloudy skies. Visitors stand near the entrance and steps, with yellow flags strung nearby.Artifact

Secondary source

Kedarnath Temple

traditionally 8th century

A wide river flows through a valley under a pale sky. A sandy bank with patches of green plants lies on the left, and dense green trees and hills stand along the far shore. A concrete structure and a yellow railing appear at the bottom edge.Artifact

Secondary source

Sringeri Sharada Peetham

traditionally 8th century; developed 14th century onward

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