Adi Shankaracharya
Four panchaloha idols of Adi Shankarcharya are set to be installed at Kedarnath, Badrinath, and Uttaramanya Jyotirmath in Uttarakhand.
About Adi Shankaracharya (8th Century CE)
- Born: In Kalady, Kerala.
- Gave the concept of Advaita (non-dualism).
- It emphasizes the non-dual nature of Brahman - the ultimate, formless reality - and teaches that the individual soul (Atman) is not separate from Brahman.
- According to Shankaracharya, the perceived duality in the world is an illusion (Maya), and liberation (Moksha) comes from realizing the oneness of the individual.
- He acknowledged the role of Bhakti (devotion) in spiritual practice.
- He established four mathas in the four cardinal directions of India - Sringeri (South), Dwarka (West), Puri (East), and Badrinath (North).
- Literary works: Bhaja Govindam, Atma Shatakam, Saundarya Lahari, Brahma Sutra Bhashya, etc.