Shringeri

Sringeri ಶೃಂಗೇರಿ
Temple town
Sri Vidyashankara temple (1342 AD) at Sringeri
Sringeri
Coordinates: 13°25′N 75°15′E / 13.42°N 75.25°E / 13.42; 75.25Coordinates: 13°25′N 75°15′E / 13.42°N 75.25°E / 13.42; 75.25
Country	India
State	Karnataka
District	Chikkamagaluru
Region	Malenadu
Government
• MLA	D. N. Jeevaraj
Elevation	672 m (2,205 ft)
Population (2001)
• Total	4,253
Languages
• Official	Kannada
• Regional	Kannada
Languages
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN	577139
Telephone code	08265
Vehicle registration	KA-18

Sringeri, also written as Shringeri is a hill town and Taluk headquarters located in Chikkamagaluru district in the state of Karnataka, It is the site of the first maṭha (Sringeri Sharada Peeta) established by Adi Shankara, Hindu theologian and exponent of the Advaita Vedanta philosophy, in the 8th century CE It is located on the banks of the river Tungā and also a historical Temple (1200 years).

The name Sringeri is derived from Rishyashringa-giri, a nearby hill that is believed to have contained the heritage of Rishi Vibhandaka and his son Rishyashringa. Rishyashringa appears in an episode in the Bala-Kanda of the Ramayana where a story, narrated by Vasishtha, relates how he brought rains to the drought-stricken kingdom of Romapada.

According to legend, Adi Shankaracharya is said to have selected the site as the place to stay and teach his disciples, because when he was walking by the Tunga river, he saw a cobra with a raised hood, providing shelter from the hot sun, to a frog about to spawn. Impressed with the place where natural enemies had gone beyond their instincts, he stayed here for twelve years. Adi Shankaracharya also established mathas in the northern (at Jyotirmath, near Badrinath), eastern (at Puri) and western (at Dwaraka) quarters of India.

Sringeri is located at 13°25′N 75°15′E / 13.42°N 75.25°E / 13.42; 75.25. It has an average elevation of 672 metres (2204 ft).