Sringeri is a pilgrim place known for its Vidyashankara Temple located on the banks of the Tunga River. It has 12 zodiac pillars on each of which the sun's rays fall according to the time of the year. Sringeri is also known as Shringeri, Shrngeri and Shringagiri. 

Where is it located 

Sringeri is a taluk located in Chikamagalur district in Karnataka. This place is the site of the first Mutt or Mata (abode) established in the year 8 A.D by Adi Shankaracharya, the Hindu theologian and exponent of the Advaita Vedanta philosophy.    

History of Shringeri

Adi Shankaracharya is said to have stayed here for twelve years and selected the site as a place to stay and teach his disciples. He established the first Shankara Mutt (out of the four Shankar Mutts in India) which is popularly known as the Jagadguru Sri Shankaracharya Mutt of Sringeri or Sri Sringeri Sharada Peetam.

How to reach

By Bus
The KSRTC (State Owned Transport) operates buses from all major cities to Shringere and Shimoga. Tickets can be booked from online vendors, KSRTC offices or online at www.ksrtc.in. There are also a good number of buses and private transport from Shimoga town to Shringeri.

By train
Shimoga or Kadur is the nearest railway stations and is linked to Bangalore. An alternate town is Koppa. The Shimogha Express (Train Number : 6227) runs from Bangalore to Shimoga. The train departs from Bangalore (Station Code : SBC) at 2340 hrs and arrives at Shimoga, next day at 0513 hrs. The train can also be boarded in Bangalore at Yeshwantpur and Malleswaram.

A similar train - Bangalore Express (Train Number : 6228) departs Shimoga (Station Code: SME) at 2205 hrs and arrives at Bangalore (Station Code : SBC) at 0500 hrs next day. Both trains run on all days in a week.

By Plane / Nearest Aiport
The nearest airport is Mangalore (110km from Sringeri). Deccan / Kingfisher / Jet operate this route from Bangalore. Ticket costs range between INR 1800 - 2500. You can take a bus or hire a private taxi to reach Sringeri.

Places to see in Shringeri

Sringeri is home to a number of historic temples. Of these, Sri Sharadamba Temple and Sri Vidyashankara Temple are very prominent. Read more about the places to see in Sringeri

Places of interest around Shringeri

There are a number of famoust Hindu Pilgrimage temples near Sringeri. Some of the major ones include Horanadu Annapoorneshwari Temple, Hariharapura, Kigga (Rishyashringa Temple), Agumbe (Venugopalaswami Temple and Sunset Spot), and Kalasa (Kalaseshwara Temple), Balehonnur - Rambapuri Mata, Koppa (Veerabhdra Swamy and Chittemakki Mallikarjuna Swamy temple).

Where to Stay

The Sringeri temple runs guest houses for tourists. Visit Sringeri Mutt web site for details. And also there are many private lodges around the temple (no advance booking required). You can however stay at Chikmagalur or Shimoga and drive down here.

Contact the temple and enquire before-hand if you plan to stay in Sringeri.

Sringeri temple Phone Numbers

1. +91-8265-250123
2. +91-8265-250594
3. +91-8265-250192

Where to Eat

The Sringeri Temple provides free lunch to the temple visitors (at the Bhojanashaala). The menu comprises of  South Indian meals of Rice, Sambar, Rasam and Curds. Enquire with the temple adminstration for the timings.

There are quite a few restaurants around (There is also a Kamat restaurant near the temple area - Kamat runs a chain of restaurants in Karnataka and are quite popular)

See Sightseeing Places in and around Sringeri or Go back to Chikmagalur tourist attractions