Who Are Shankaracharyas? Spiritual Leaders Whose Presence At Ayodhya Ram Mandir Consecration Is A Topic Of Debate

The four Shankaracharyas are the custodians of the four Vedas in Hinduism and safeguard Adi Shankaracharya's legacy, playing a pivotal role in preserving and interpreting sacred Hindu scriptures.

With the Ayodhya Ram Mandir set to be inaugurated on January 22, invitations have been sent out to people across the country to attend the grand ceremony, and there is a lot of excitement among the devotees and spiritual leaders alike. At least two of the four Shankaracharyas, however, have voiced their concerns that the temple's consecration was taking place before the completion of its construction, and that does not adhere to Hindu customs. The Shankaracharyas lead ‘maths’ or shrines, referred to as 'peeth' in Sanskrit. Each of them has the responsibility of safeguarding and preserving one Veda, ensuring the continued existence of Vedic literature and culture.

According to Joshimath Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, none of the four pontiffs would be present in Ayodhya on January 22. However, the others are yet to officially confirm their stand. A war of words has ensued between the Congress and the Vishva Hindu Parishad over this. While the Congress has claimed that all four Shankaracharyas disapprove of the inauguration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya before its completion, the VHP has countered that three of the Shankaracharyas have given their blessings for the 'pran pratishtha' (consecration) ceremony.

These four maths (or mutts) are located in Joshimath (Uttarakhand), Dwarka (Gujarat), Puri (Odisha), and Sringeri (Karnataka). All of them were established by the eighth-century religious scholar Adi Shankaracharya. The four Shankaracharyas continue to serve Adi Shankaracharya's legacy, playing a pivotal role in preserving and interpreting sacred Hindu scriptures. Their responsibilities extend to serving as mediators between different schools of thought within Hinduism.

Govardhan Math in Puri holds the custodianship of the Rig Veda, while the Dwarka Sharada Peetham in Gujarat is entrusted with the responsibility for the Sam Veda. Similarly. The Sringeri Sharada Peetham in Karnataka has the custody of the Yajur Veda and the Jyotir Math in Uttarakhand's Joshimath is the custodian for the Atharva Veda, according to an India Times report.

Who Are The Four Shankaracharyas?

Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati of Joshimath 

Joshimath Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati emphasized the responsibility of the Shankaracharyas to ensure the faithful adherence to religious scriptures. He mentioned that consecrating the temple before its construction is completed undermines the significance outlined in the scriptures.

Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, the 46th Shankaracharya of the Jyotir Mutt, clarified in his video that the decision of the four Shankaracharyas should not be interpreted as being "anti-Modi." Instead, he press that the decision was made in line with their commitment to not go against the teachings of the scriptures. He stated that they didn’t want to go "anti-shastras."

Swami Nishchalanand Saraswati of Puri

Swami Nishchalanand Saraswati is the Shankaracharya of Puri Gowardhanpeeth and is considered to be the 145th Sankaracharya of the Govardhana Peetha at Jagannath Puri, Odisha. He assumed the role as the head of the Peetha on February 9, 1992, as per a Hindustan Times report.

Shankaracharya of Puri Swami Nischalanand stated that he will not be a part of the consecration. He mentioned that he has received an invitation, specifying that he can attend the event with only one person. He added that apart from the invitation, no other form of contact was made with him. He mentioned that this is the reason why he will not attend the event because politics around the Ram temple should be avoided.

Shankaracharya Bharati Teerth of Sringeri

Shankaracharya Bharati Teerth of Sringeri Sharda Peeth holds the esteemed position as the 36th Shankaracharya of the Peeth. According to The Hindustan Times, he might not be attending the Ram temple event on January 22, however, the Sringeri mutt has rejected this claim. It remains unclear at this point whether the Shankaracharya will ultimately attend the consecration ceremony.

Sadanand Saraswati of Dwarka 

Sadanand Saraswati holds the position of Shankaracharya at Paschimannaya Dwarka Shardapeeth situated in Dwarka, Gujarat, this peeth is also recognized as the Kalika mutt. As per the report Shankaracharya Sadanand Saraswati will also not attend the event, though there is no official confirmation yet.