Shree Swarnavalli Matha — Attraction in Karnataka

Shri Swarnavalli Mhasamsthana of uttar Kannada district is one of the famous and the main Shankar peethas in India. Besides propagating Hindu religion and religious heritage. Shri mutt looks scientifically at nature, education, culture and other fields and becomes the driving force. Shri mutt has the history of one thousand two hundred years.

Shri mutt was founded by Aadi Shankaracharya at Dashashwamedha Ghat kashi in 9th century. Shri vishwavandya Saraswati Swami was the first seer of Shri mutt. Sanskrit inscription proves that Shrimatha was shifted from kashi to Ujjain and was patroned by the king Vikramaditya. Shrimath was at Rushyashranga for sometime and was shifted to the famous religious place Gokarna in 12th century.

When Shri mutt was in Gokarna Haivarasa and Vijayanagara Kings patroned Shrimath with faith and devotion. Immadi Harihar’s Gokarna inscription proved it. The copper plate inscription of 1405 informs that Swarnavalli Math was at Aadityeshwar temple in Gokarna. It also shows that Swarnavalli Math was at Aadityeshwar temple in Gokarna. It also shows that Swarnavalli Math was in Gokarna till the middle part of 15th century. Then shri math was in kadatok till the end of 15th century. Shri mutt was shifted to Bhimanapada sonda, in the beginning of the 16th century.

The 10th and 11th century inscription informs that Bhimanapada, sonda was the spiritual place. Shri mutt was in existence at Bhimanapada for seventy five years. Shri mutt had mud building. Even today we can see the remains of old Shri mutt at Bhimanapada.

In the middle or 16th century Immadi Arasappanayaka was ruling the areas of sonda. The King had no children. He told his problem to the 31st seer of Swarnavalli Math, Herechandra Shekhar Saraswati Swami. Swami suggested the king to carve “Shiva Lingam” on the bank of the shalmala. Then the king got a son. The King had deep devotion on swamiji. He shifted the Shrimath from Bhimanapada to the place where shrimath is now. He constructed new shri mutt at sonda and named it “Swarnavalli” in 1555.

The inscription on the south wall of Shri mutt proved the incidents. Then Shri mutt continued the legacy of penance. All the kings showed their devotion on shrimath. The king Arasappanayaka donated and gave 16 [seemas] regions for the service of Shri mutt. There is a special inscription infront of Narasimha Temple at shrimath which belongs to the King of sode, Savayi Ramachandra Nayak, who ruled in the middle of 17th century. Ramachandra nayaka who belonged to the king’s family performed ‘special yaga’ under the leadership of Sarvajnendra Saraswati Swami of that time. The inscription informs that the king ruled the state with Swamiji. The kings had a special devotion on Swarnavalli math.

The Present seer Shri Gangadharendra Saraswati Swami has concern for nature and education. Swamiji has continued the legacy of penance also. Swamiji conducted “Bhagavad Gita Campaign” program on “ Society without bad habits” swamiji has concern for agriculture by all these noble deeds, Swamiji is well known in...

Swarnavalli Mutt is situated amidst evergreen forests near Shalmala River in Sonda village of Sirsi Taluk, 16 kms away from Sirsi town center.

Swarnavalli or Honnavalli Math of Sonda is believed to have been founded about 800 years ago, by His Holiness Bhaskarendra Saraswathi at the instance of Adi Shankaracharya, the pioneer of Advaita (Non-Dualism) philosophy. The Mutt authorities claim that the first head of the Mutt was blessed by AdiShankaracharya.

Sonda or Swadi, as it was then known, is a place of great historical and cultural impotance. It had once been ruled by the Sonda Nayaka dynasty.

The present Mathadeesha or head of the Matha, Shri Gangadhareshwar Saraswati Swami with the title of ‘Hasiru Swamigalu’ – the green Swami, for the leadership he provides to agitations against harmful and ill conceived development projects.

Swamiji believes that the current disconnect between nature and religion has come because of a misunderstanding of spirituality, the stiff competition for survival in urban contexts and inappropriate industrialization.

Every year, the Matha organizes tree plantation programmes and training camps in which young children are taught the importance of conservation. In place of the traditional blessed sweet, the Swami offers blessed saplings to those who come to him for guidance and urges them to look after the sapling as their own children. The Matha also sets an example by engaging in organic farming, and using ecosensitive technologies like solar heating...

Shri Vishwavandya Saraswati, the first Guru of this Peetha was blessed by Adi Shankara. The Matha was founded in Dashashwamedhaghat at Kashi, and later shifted to Ujjaini, Gokarna, Kadtoke, Sahasralinga and the present Swarnavalli, respectively. Owing to the royal patronage and people’s faith , the Matha besides becoming a Gurupeetha for the entire Gokarna-Mandala, developed a Mahasamsthana.

This Shree Kshetra has very powerfull spiritual energy. Must visit once in lifetime.

Now this Shree Kshetra is headed by Shree Shree Shree Gangadharendra Saraswati Maha Swamigalu, called also as Hasiru Swamijee.

Shree Swarnavalli Matha, about 16 KM away from Sirsi, located on the bank of Shalmala, being surrounded by areca and coconut gardens, ever green forests, hillocks, valleys, paddy fields, rivulets and a number of historical monuments-Mathas, temples, tanks, fort, stone inscriptions, etc. Eventhough the Swrnavalli Matha came into prominence,eversince Arasappa Nayaka II, the king of Swadi, got erected Shree Swarnavalli Matha in Honnehalli grama and granted the same to Chandrashekhara Saraswati of the Sahasralinga Matha.

This Matta is running also educational institutions called, Shree Raja Rajeswari Vidya Samste (Samskrit Patashala) and Shriniketana CBSC School.

I highly recommend to visit this place and have Blessings of Laxminarasimha, Rajarajeshwari, Chandramouleshwara, Ratna Garbha Ganapati and Shree Shree Shree Gangadharendra Saraswati Maha Swamigalu.And also have...