K.A.Viswanathan
Mumbai: The 11 day Sri Sankara Jayanthi celebration of Adi Sankaracharya who was instrumental in the revival of Hinduism celebrated with pomp and festivity at the Sri Sankara Mattham, Matunga with Rudraikadasi, Navavarana puja and Rudra Homam along with with the chanting of all 4 Vedas by Vedic scholars.
Besides this, there was also Pada Pooja, Suvasini pooja, Purushasooktha homams on other days.
Adi Sankaracharya, who was believed to be an incarnation of Lord Shiva was a great philosopher, saint and the exponent of Advaita Vedanta, was born around 1231 years ago in a place called Kaladi in Kerala. His name was a national phenomenon beyond the realms of narrow religious definitions by virtue of his recorded travails across the entire country from the Himalayas to the tip of the sub-continent. As an infant prodigy, he mastered the scriptural lore within a short time. When he was only sixteen, he became a master of all the philosophies and theologies and began to write commentaries on the Gita, the Upanishads and the Brahma Sutras. During his travel, he established five Peetas- at Sringeri, Dwaraka, Badrinath and Kanchi to spread his teachings.
At the age of 32, he retired to the Himalayas and disappeared inside a cave near Kedarnath. This cave is traditionally pointed out as the site of his samadhi. Sankara mattams all over the country celebrate the Sankara Jayanthi in a befitting manner.
