Ram Mandir: Who are the shankaracharyas? How are they related to Adi Shankara? Here’s all you need to know

The Ram Mandir consecration ceremony will take place on January 22 in Ayodhya. While several politicians, movie stars and sports personalities will attend the grand celebrations, the four shankaracharyas will not be present for the ceremony.

Here's everything you need to know about the four shankaracharyas and their relation to Adi Shankara, one of the most prominent figures in Hinduism.

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Who are the Shankaracharyas?

The Shankaracharyas are the head of the four Hindumaths(monasteries), located in Dwarka (Gujarat), Joshimath (Uttarakhand), Puri (Odisha), and Sringeri (Karnataka), believed to be established by Adi Shankara in the 8th century.

'Shankaracharya' is the religious title given to the respective heads of thefour cardinalmaths. These teachers belong to a line of teachers tracing back to Adi Shankara himself.

The fourmathslocated in the North, South, East and West of India are also seen as keepers of the Hindu faith and traditions. Vijayanagara kingdom was the first to patronise the Sringeri mathin the 14th century CE.

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Legend says that Adi Shankara established thesemathsto impart knowledge. Today, thesemathsconsist of religious shrines, temples, libraries, and residences. Thesemathsaim to preserve Adi Shankara's teachings and traditions.

Who was Adi Shankara?

As per Hindu folklore, Adi Shankara was born in Kalady village on the banks of River Periyar in what is now the south Indian state of Kerala. When Shankara was a young boy, a crocodile caught him and told his mother that he would only let him go if she allowed him to takesanyas(renunciation). Shankara's mother agreed, letting him leave home and become an ascetic (sanyasi).

Shankara grew up to become a remarkable scholar and monk under the guidance of Govindacharya. He visited several crucial spiritual centres and challenged prevalent philosophical traditions.

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Later, Shankara laid the foundation ofmathsand organised monastic order.

He became a celebrated Hindu figure who wrote around 116 books, including commentaries (bhashyas) on the Upanishads, the Brahmasutra, and the Bhagavad Gita.

Adi Shankara's most famous work is Advaita Vedanta. It is a school of Hindu philosophy and spiritual discipline. The fundamental philosophy of Advaita Vedanta lies in the unity ofatma(soul), or individual consciousness, and brahmaor the ultimate reality. Adi Shankara transversed the length and breadth of the Indian landmass, preaching the Advaita Vedanta.

(With inputs from agencies)