Sharada Peetham, Sringeri

Sharada Peetham (Sharada Devi Temple), Sringeri in Chikmagalur district, Karnataka, is one of the four cardinal Shankaracharya Mathas established by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century CE, making it one of the oldest institutional centres of Advaita Vedanta in India. The primary deity is Sharada Amba — Saraswati as the Goddess of Learning — worshipped here for over 1,200 years.

The current main temple structure and the famous Navaratna Mandapa (nine-gem pavilion) were rebuilt and expanded in the 19th–20th centuries using Chettinad granite and feature a distinctive South Kanara architectural style with gold-plated copper roof finials. The Sringeri Math sits on the banks of the sacred Tunga River, and the riverside setting with ancient trees, peacocks, and a large population of semi-sacred turtles makes it one of the most atmospherically serene temple sites in South India.