Shankaracharya Temple (Jyoteshwara Temple) In Srinagar

                                                    Shankaracharya Temple

Shankaracharya temple is a beautiful Shiva temple situated at a height of 1100 feet on a picturesque location on the Gopadari Hill on the South East of Srinagar. Home to Shankaracharya when he visited Srinagar, the temple was built in 250 BC. Earlier known as the Gopadri Temple, it was renamed by King Lalitaditya as Shankaracharya Temple in the sixth century. The temple became more accessible after the Dogra ruler, Maharaja Gulab Singh, constructed the stairs. It is believed to be the oldest shrine in Kashmir.  The shrine offers magnificent views of the snow covered peaks of the Pir Panjal range and the valley.

This temple is the unique attraction of Srinagar. It is situated on the hill known as Takht-e-Suleiman. There are the stone steps which take visitors to the top, where tourists can see a small temple devoted to Lord Shiva. The temple is built in remembrance of Shankaracharya who came to Srinagar from Kerala 1200 years ago. People can view the valley, lakes, city, boathouse, gardens and waterways from the top of this temple. Besides being a place of religious importance, this temple is famous for its archaeological specimen too.

Significance of the Shankaracharya Temple:-

Shankaracharya Temple has a lot of history associated with it and it is also believe that Jesus Christ had visited Kashmir as well as the temple. This is also inscribed on the temple’s shrine as well as on its steps that lead to the main shrine and this has increased its popularity in the region. There were also Persian engravings on the temple and on its stairs. The historical reference to this temple also mentions the same and this has therefore become a belief of the region.

The temple had derived many names and the name of Takht-e-Suleiman had persisted during the periods of the Mughal, Sikh, Afghan and Dogra periods. Most of the publications that existed during the periods had all referred to this hill by the same name. The temple as well as the hill derived the name Shankaracharaya when the Governor Sheikh Mohi-ud-Din had made the repairs during 19th century. Since then the temple was not used as a temple and later on it was consecrated as Shankaracharaya temple and this is when Shiv Lingam was placed in temple. During the period of the Sikh, people started prayer services inside the temple and then the festival of Shravan Poornima was also celebrated at this temple which became a custom. Gulab Singh who was a popular Dogra King of this region had also constructed the existing steps to reach the hill. The electrical installations that exist on the temple were made by the Maharaja of Mysore who had come to Kashmir region in 1925. The current statue of Adi Shankaracharaya was put in the temple in 1961 and in 1974 the J&K Government constructed the current road that takes the tourists to the TV antenna which is near the hill top.

The temple of Jyoteshware rests on solid rock with a 20 something foot tall octagonal base that supports the square building on the top. There is a terrace around this square temple which is reached by stone staircases that are enclosed between two walls. There is a doorway which is on opposite side of staircase and it leads to interior. The interior is a small dark chamber, which is circular in the plan. It has a ceiling that is supported by octagonal columns and this surrounds a small basin that contains the Lingam which is encircled by a snake. Shankaracharya Temple is regularly worshipped by the pilgrims who visit the region during the popular Amarnath Yatra. The 243 steps that lead up to this temple area are not very steep and can be easily climbed. The temple overlooks the beautiful Srinagar town and the temple is located at height of about 1100 feet. This sacred site also offers splendid views of Kashmir valley and the splendid snow covered mountains can also be seen from here especially the Pir Panjal range. The shrine is one of the oldest in the region and in the Kashmir valley.
The shrine also has a circular cell which provides views of the valley below and the innermost chamber of this temple was renovated and is now covered with modern ceilings. This temple also is a very well known spot amongst the religious tourists and it is also known to have a lot of religious as well as architectural importance in the region.

History Of Shankaracharya Temple :-

The temple dates back to 200 BC, although the present structure probably dates back to the 9th century AD. It was visited by Adi Shankara and has ever since been associated with him; this is how the temple got the name Shankaracharya. It is also regarded as sacred by Buddhists. The Shiv ling was placed inside during the Sikh period in the nineteenth century and it became an active Hindu temple when regular services were conducted. Some historians report that the temple was actually a Buddhist temple during the buddhist era which was then changed into Hindu site of worship by Adi Shankaracharya.
Persians and Jews call it Bagh-i- Sulaiman or the Garden of King Solomon. Persian inscriptions are also found inside the temple. According to Pandit Anand Koul (1924), the temple was originally built by the Hindu king "Sandiman" who, according to Koul, reigned in Kashmir from 2629 to 2564 BC. It was repaired by King Gopaditya (426–365 BC) and by King Lalitaditya (697–734 A.D.). Sikandar, the Iconoclast did not, for some reason, destroy it. Zain-ul-Abidin repaired its roof which had tumbled down by an earthquake. Sheikh Ghulam Mohi-Ud-din, a Sikh Governor (1841–46), also repaired its dome. It was repaired by King Gopaditya (426–365 BC) and by King Lalitaditya (697–734).The earliest historical reference to the hill comes from Kalhana. He called the mountain Gopadri. Kalhana also says that King Gopaditya granted the land at the foot of the hill to the Brahmins that had come from the “Araya versh.”

The land grant was called “GOPA AGRAHARAS”. This area is now called Gupkar. Kalhana also mentions another village in the vicinity of the hill. It so happens that the King Gopaditya housed some of the Brahmins who had eaten Garlic to a village next door. Kalhana names this village as Bhuksiravatika. That would be Buch’vore today. Kalhana also mentions that King Gopaditya built the temple on the top of the hill as a shrine to Jyesthesvara (Shiva Jyestharuda) around 371 BC Abul Fazal also mentions that King Gopaditya built the temple. Although many experts believe that the current temple was probably built later but most of them agree that the base of the structure does seem to be very old.
It is said that Lalitaditya Muktapida (724-726 AD) of Karakote dynasty did repairs to the temple. According to Srivara Budsah (Zain-ul-Abideen 1420-1470 AD) did major repairs to the temple. He also put the Kalash (spire) and the roof of the structure which had fallen due to an earthquake.The third time the temple was repaired was the Muslim Governor, Sheikh Mohi-Ud-Din (1842 to 1845) during the Sikh rule of Kashmir. some call it Takhti Suleiman also. Probably Jews believe the lost tribe of Israel lived in Kashmir. They refer to the culture and design of temple as the evidence. There is no doubt that there are a lot of similarities between Israelites and Kashmiris.

Renovation Works Of Shankaracharya Temple :-

 Shankaracharya Temple has gone through a number of repair and renovation works for over many years. The first work of renovation happened during the era of Lalitaditya. An earthquake brought substantial damages to the temple and the repairs to it were conducted by Zain-ul-Aideen. However, the stone steps that lead to the gates of the temple were constructed on the command of Maharaja Gulab Singh. The ceiling has also gone through several repairs from time to time. Electricity was made available to the temple in the year 1925.

Nearby Temples and Attractions:-

Srinagar is a wonderful city in the Kashmir valley that has a lot of natural beauty and the city is nestled among mountains. The city is situated on the banks of the holy River Jhelum and has many diverse temples that have great architectural grandeur and history associated with them. The city also has beautiful gardens and lakes. Some of the major tourist attractions of Srinagar are the Dal Lake, Shalimar Bagh, Nishat Bag and Jami Masjid.

Following are some major temples in Srinagar:-

Pandrethan Temple, Srinagar:-

 An old stone structure, the Pandrethan temple is a major temple that is associated with the Emperor Ashoka and is one of the major attractions of the city.
Bhuteshwara Temple, Srinagar:-

 The temple was constructed in the 12th century and is blessed with great architecture and thus holds great importance among the locals.
Sharika Devi Temple, Hari Parbat, Srinagar:-

 This is a temple laced with many mystical theories from the ancient Hindu mythology. The temple’s presiding deity is Sharika Devi who is also the major deity of the Srinagar city.
JwalaMukhi Temple, Khru, Srinagar:-

 The picturesquely placed temple is atop a hillock and is a popular draw for the tourists.
Rameshwaram Shiva Temple, Jawahar Nagar, Srinagar:-

 The popular Shiva Temple has religious significance and has associations with Hinduism, but also Sikhism.
Martand Sun Temple, Anantnag, Srinagar:-

 The Anantnag temple is popular among the devotees who visit the Amarnath temple and the temple is a work of genius architectural labour. This temple was built by the King Lalitaditya of the Surya (Solar) dynasty.
Mamal Shiva Temple, Pahalgam, Srinagar:-

 The popular Shiva Temple is one that has exceptional popularity amongst the faithful devotees and the devotees throng the temple in spite of its ruined condition.
The Adi Shankaracharya Temple of Srinagar has been a significant and historical temple and it thus carries special importance among the locals as well as the tourists. The temple being dedicated to Lord Shiva is visited by many people and the city of Srinagar is also an important destination for many people and is visited by many tourists. The temple is a place with immense natural beauty in and around the temple and so the place is worth a visit.
 
Best time to visit:-

The best time to visit the Shankaracharya Temple is between May and September when the weather is pleasant. It snows in the winter months in and around Srinagar and winters are very severe.

Shankaracharya Temple Timing:-

The temple is open from 7:00 am till 8:00 pm.

How to Reach:-

By Taxi :-

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

By 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.

By 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.

By 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.