Photo 1 / 4Sharadamba gopuram across the plaza. Photo: Bhallamudi.ravi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Sringeri Sharadamba Temple
About the Temple
The Sharadamba temple is the heart of the Sringeri Sharada Peetham, the monastic seat that tradition traces to Adi Shankaracharya, on the bank of the Tunga river. Beside it stands the stone Vidyashankara temple, completed in 1338, with twelve pillars marked with the signs of the zodiac. Families come to pray to the goddess of learning, and many bring young children to begin their education here.
Why visit
- Pray to Sharadamba, the goddess of learning, at the Peetham's main shrine.
- See the carved Vidyashankara temple and its twelve zodiac pillars.
Temple Timings
- Morning
- 6:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Evening
- 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Official source, checked 23 Oct 2026 · Source
These are the Peetham's normal-day hours for the Sharadamba temple, with Maha-Mangalarati at 10:00, 12:00 and 19:30. The other temples in the complex open 06:00 to 13:00 and 17:00 to 20:00. The Peetham says timings change with events and the Jagadguru's camps. Navaratri is the temple's main festival.
Before You Go
- Time to allow
1.5 hours to 3 hours inside the temple. This is a planning allowance, not a queue time; festival days take longer.
- Dress
Wear clean, traditional clothing. The Peetham's published rules ask men to remove shirts and vests before entering the Gurunivas, and not to wear lungis, trousers, jeans or salwar kameez for sevas there. Footwear is not allowed anywhere in the temple complex.
Official source, checked 23 Oct 2026 · Source
- Phones
The Peetham asks visitors to switch off mobile phones inside the temples, Narasimhavana and Gurunivas. Photographs inside the temples and of the deities are not allowed.
Official source, checked 23 Oct 2026 · Source
- Access
Step counts and wheelchair routes are not confirmed. Ask at the Peetham's enquiry office if anyone in your group has limited mobility.
Not confirmed: check with the temple before you go
- Photography
No photographs inside the temples or the Gurunivas, and none of the deities.
Official source, checked 23 Oct 2026 · Source
Highlights
- Vidyashankara temple
A stone temple to Shiva completed in 1338, combining Hoysala and Vijayanagara styles. Its hall has twelve pillars marked with the signs of the zodiac.
- The zodiac pillars and the sun
Karnataka Tourism says sunlight falls on each pillar in its solar month. A 2011 study in the Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage found that this match would only hold for a far earlier epoch, so treat it as a belief.
- Aksharabhyasa
Families bring children of about two and a half to five years for Aksharabhyasa, the start of learning, at the Sharada temple. It is held 08:00 to 13:00 on any day without advance booking.
- The Tunga river and its fish
The main shrines stand on the north bank of the Tunga. The Peetham asks visitors not to swim, catch the fish or feed them anything inedible.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org, karnatakatourism.org, sringeri.net, sringeri.net · checked 22 Oct 2026
How to reach Sringeri Sharadamba Temple
- By road: Buses reach Sringeri from Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mangaluru, Udupi, Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, Dharmasthala, Kollur and Koppa. The Peetham gives 80 km from Udupi (about 2.5 hours), 105 km from Shivamogga, 110 km from Mangaluru and 360 km from Bengaluru. Shivamogga, Udupi and Mangaluru are the railway stations it names.
Sources: sringeri.net · checked 22 Oct 2026
Nearby Places
- Sri Annapoorneshwari Temple, HoranaduThe goddess of food, where every visitor is served a free meal.75 km by road
- Kalaseshwara Temple, KalasaA Shiva temple on the Bhadra river, on the way to Horanadu.23 km away
- AgumbeA village on the crest of the Western Ghats.20 km away
- Kollur Sri Mookambika TempleThe Devi shrine at the foot of Kodachadri, the last stop on the run to the coast.110 km by road
Sources: chikkamagaluru.nic.in, en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org, sringeri.net · checked 22 Oct 2026
Questions Visitors Ask
Can I take my phone inside Sringeri Sharadamba Temple?
The Peetham asks visitors to switch off mobile phones inside the temples, Narasimhavana and Gurunivas. Photographs inside the temples and of the deities are not allowed.
What are the Sringeri Sharadamba temple timings?
On normal days the Peetham lists 06:00 to 14:00 and 16:00 to 21:00. Timings change during events and the Jagadguru's camps, so check before you go.
Can I do Aksharabhyasa for my child at Sringeri?
Yes. The Peetham describes Aksharabhyasa as a seva at the Sharada temple for children of about two and a half to five, held 08:00 to 13:00 on any day without advance booking. Vijayadashami is among the days devotees consider most auspicious.
What should I wear at Sringeri?
Clean, traditional clothes and no footwear in the complex. Men remove shirts and vests before the Gurunivas.
When is Sringeri cold?
The Peetham says temperatures can fall to about 10 degrees C from November to February, and heavy rain falls from mid-July to mid-September.