New Adi Shankaracharya samadhi sthal designed as a quite meditative space

Team L&M

Throughout his life, Shankaracharya propounded a monistic view of spirituality. Though he wrote numerous treatises, many of which have been considered the bedrock of Hinduism, the contribution he made towards propagating an Advaitic philosophy that suggested a unified universal view of Vedanta, is particularly significant.

The Kerala-born philosopher saint widely travelled across India. He was last seen at Kedarnath temple in the Himalayas where he finally attained Samadhi at the age of 32. A samadhi structure was made at place where devotees worshipped him. In 2013 Uttarakhand floods, this structure was washed away.

A new samadhi has now been made on the spot by the JSW Group. Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled Adi Shankaracharya statue at the samadhi on November 05. The 12-feet tall statue weighs around 35,000kg, and has been made by Mysore-based sculptor Arjun Yogiraj.

Have a look at the new samadhi sthal here.

The new samadhi has been designed keeping with the spiritual soul of the project and the aesthetics of contemporary design. As a part of the redevelopment masterplan of the entire precinct, the area behind the temple is classified as “Forever Open Clear and Free” zone. This will ensure the mountains remain untouched and stand as an unfettered backdrop to the temple.

The sunken structure provides an environment for quiet meditation and the circular ramps, symbolises the journey through life’s stages leading the visitor on a spiral path that stops at the central core in front of the statue of Adi Guru Shri Shankaracharya.

The statue is handcrafted in Mysore and transported in eight individual blocks by rail & road, finally airlifted by Indian Air Force and reassembled on site. Keeping the importance of Mandalas in Hindu philosophy in mind, the statue is placed on a platform – Yantra that holds configurations of meditative spiritual power.

The minimalistic and environment-friendly design of the entire structure with its pure walls made of local stone, chiselled from the surrounding boulders that support the spiral path, is sure to move a pilgrim’s mind towards quietude and a meditative calm.

The journey from Shiv Angan to the heart of the Adi Guru Shri Shankaracharya Samadhi is suggestive of one’s inner journey.