Shankaracharya Hill
| Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R) |
Shankaracharya Hill (शंकराचार्य पहाड़ी) is a hill overlooking the Dal Lake and Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir.
Origin
Variants
- Sandhiman Parvata संधिमान् पर्वत = Shankaracharya Hill शंकराचार्य पहाड़ी, श्रीनगर, (AS, p.929)*
- Shankaracharya Hill (शंकराचार्य पहाड़ी) (AS, p.929)
- Sandhimana-parvata (संधिमान पर्वत)
- Shankaracharya Temple
- Sandhimana (संधिमान) - king in Rajatarangini[1]
History
Devoted to the worship of Lord Shiva, Shankaracharya Temple is believed to have been built by Raja Gopaditya in 371 BC. During those times, the temple was known as Gopadri. The great saint Shankaracharya is supposed to have stayed here when he visited Kashmir in the early part of the ninth century with the primary aim of spreading the philosophy of Vedanta. This perhaps led to the renaming of the temple as Shankaracharya Temple. Shankaracharya was also instrumental in popularizing the worship of Lord Shiva in Jammu and Kashmir. [2]
It is famous for the sacred Shankaracharya Temple, also known as Jyeshteswara, which occupies the top of the hill. It is the destination of hundreds of tourists each day. The hill top affords a commanding view of the Kashmir Valley for tens of miles. Before 1940, the forests occurring on this hill were depleted due to the removal of fuel wood, small timber and fodder. There came a stage when this hill became virtually devoid of trees. Thereafter, a massive afforestation and rehabilation programme was taken to increase the tree cover, which was met with considerable success. Today, the Shankaracharya Hill supports a good forest cover.
संधिमान पर्वत
संधिमान पर्वत (AS, p.929) = श्रीनगर के निकट शंकराचार्य पहाड़ी. [3]