Who was Adi Shankaracharya? Whose idol was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Kedarnath today
By Lokmat English Desk | Published: November 5, 2021 06:09 PM2021-11-05T18:09:36+5:302021-11-05T18:09:36+5:30
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a 12-foot statue of Adi Shankaracharya at famous religious philosopher's samadhi, the final meditation-resting place, in Uttarakhand's Kedarnath.
His samadhi was rebuilt after it was damaged in the 2013 Uttarakhand floods.
"There was a time when spirituality and religion were believed to be associated only with stereotypes. But, Indian philosophy talks about human welfare, sees life in a holistic manner. Adi Shankaracharya worked to make society aware of this truth," PM Modi said in Kedarnath.
Adi Shankaracharya is considered as a philosopher and preacher who influenced Hinduism like no other spiritual teacher.
आद्य शंकराचार्यांच्या जीवनाची सुरुवात कलादी गावामधून सुरू होऊन ओमकारेश्वरपर्यंत जाते. येथेच नर्मदा किनाऱ्यावर त्यांना आपल्या गुरू गोविंद भागवतपडा यांचा सहवास लाभला. गुरू गोविंद सिंह यांनी येथे शंकराचार्यांना वेदसूत्र आणि ब्राह्मणांबाबत ज्ञान दिले होते. गु
He is credited to have unified Hindu religious sects building institutions in four corners of the country, written all significant treatise on religion and established Sanatan Dharma practices through debates - accomplishing all of it in a short life span of 32 years.
Adi Shankaracharya is generally considered an eighth century religious teacher. But there are differences of opinion about this actual birthday.
On May 17 this year, a large number of his followers celebrated Adi Shankaracharya Jayanti or the 1233rd birth anniversary of Adi Shankaracharya with former Union Education Minister Ramesh Chandra Pokhriyal and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath posting tweets on the occasion.
However, many others dispute this record calling it a misrepresentation by the western scholars. In 2015, Tamil Nadu's Kancheepuram Math chief Jayendra Saraswati said the government's approval for 788 being the birth year of Adi Shankaracharya was wrong. Adi Shankar, as he is popularly known among his followers, was born in Kalady village -now a small town in the Ernakulam district - situated on the bank of a river of the same name in Kerala. He was an exceptional child as Adi Shankar had become fluent in Sankrit by the age of two. By four, he was comfortably reciting scriptures including Vedas.
