Malahanikareshwara Temple

Malahanikareshwara Temple is a hilltop Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva located on Malahanikareshwara Hill overlooking Sringeri town in Chikkamagaluru district, Karnataka. Situated above the Sringeri Sharada Peetham and Tunga River, it is known for its elevated location, panoramic views of the town and surrounding Western Ghats, and its association with the Advaita tradition. The temple is reached by a flight of stone steps and features a Shiva linga as the main deity.

Visitors can expect a climb of approximately 300 stone steps to a small hilltop temple complex offering panoramic views of Sringeri town, the Tunga River, and the Sringeri Sharada Peetham below. The temple has a simple stone structure with a Shiva linga in the sanctum, an open courtyard, and surrounding forested hill slopes. The setting is quiet and scenic, suitable for sightseeing, photography of the landscape, and short hill climbing.

Malahanikareshwara Temple is an ancient Shiva temple associated with Sringeri, the site of the first Advaita Vedanta monastery (Sringeri Sharada Peetham) established by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century CE. The temple is traditionally believed to have been worshipped by Adi Shankaracharya and later patronized by the Vijayanagara rulers. It represents the Shaivite heritage of the Sringeri region alongside the Sharada Peetham.

The temple is a significant Shaivite shrine for pilgrims visiting Sringeri, complementing the Sharada Peetham dedicated to Goddess Saraswati. It is revered as a guardian deity hill shrine overlooking the town and is an important part of the religious circuit in Sringeri, visited during festivals such as Maha Shivaratri.