Shankaracharya Temple,
Srinagar – History
The
temple was originally built by the Hindu king Sandiman reigned in Kashmir
from 2629 to 2564 BC. It was extensively renovated by King Gopaditya
(426–365 BC) and by King Lalitaditya (697–734 CE). Kalhana, author of Rajatarangini,
mentions that King Gopaditya built the
temple dedicated to Jyesthesvara on top of the hill. The
temple is believed to have been visited by Adi Shankaracharya, which
has made the
temple to be associated with him.
As per historians, this
temple was originally a Buddhist temple during the Buddhist era. The
temple was then later on changed to a Hindu site and Adi Shankaracharya
made it a Hindu place of worship. The Jews and Persians used to call it the
Bagh-i-Sulaiman which means the Garden of King Solomon and the
temple also has Persian engravings.
Sikandar Butshikan (Sikandar, the
iconoclast) did not destroy this
temple for some reason. Zain-ul-Abidin, eighth sultan of Kashmir,
repaired the roof of the
temple which had been destroyed during an earthquake in the region. The hill
was also mentioned as Takht-e-Suleiman during the periods of the Mughal, Sikh,
Afghan and Dogra periods. Sheikh Ghulam Mohi-ud-din, a Sikh Governor (1841–46
CE), also repaired the dome of the
temple.
The
temple and the hill derived the name Shankaracharya during this period. The
temple was not in active worship in this period. It was consecrated as Shankaracharya
temple and Shiva Linga was installed in the
temple. The Dogra King Gulab Singh (1846-1857 CE) constructed the
steps to the hill from Durga Naag temple side. The Maharaja of Mysore came to
Kashmir in 1925 and made the electrical installations at the
temple.
The Shankaracharya of Dwarka Peetham
installed the statue of Adi Shankaracharya in the
temple in 1964 CE. The Government of J&K constructed the road to the top
of the hill in 1974 CE. The shrine is under the religious control of the
Dharmarth Trust. The
temple is a nationally Protected Monument under the Archaeological
Monument, Sites and Remains Act, 1958 and maintained by the Archaeological
Survey of India.
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