History
Sringeri Vidya Bharati Foundation, Canada - Background
(Established by followers of Sringeri Sharada Peetam, Founded by Sri Adi Shankara)
Sri Adi Shankara (788 AD – 820 AD)
Sri Adi Shankara was born in Kerala, South India. He mastered all the Vedas by the age of eight. He renounced material world at an early age and travelled all over India, seeking and imparting knowledge and engaging in spiritual and philosophical debates with followers of alternative schools of thought. He consistently won the debates with his opponents, who then chose him to be their Guru. He established Peetams (centres) in Sringeri (South), Puri (East), Dwarka (West) and Badrinath (North). He established the doctrine of Advaita (non-duality) Vedanta and was a prolific writer of commentaries on Vedas and Upanishads.
Sringeri Sharada Peetam
Sringeri Sharada Peetam was founded by Sri Adi Shankara, with his disciple, Sri Sureswaracharya as the first Acharya. This Peetam has an unbroken lineage of Acharyas sustaining Hindu thoughts and practices even during times of adversity and foreign occupation. The current Acharya, Jagadguru Shankaracharya Sri Sri Bharati Tirtha Swamiji, is the 36th in line. The Peetam is located in Sringeri, along the banks of River Tunga in beautiful Western Ghats in Karnataka, India
Sringeri Vidya Bharati Foundation, Canada
SVBF Canada, a charitable organization established for propagating Sanatana Dharma, was incorporated in 2005 with the acquisition of the existing Shiva temple in Etobicoke. SVBF Canada is an overseas affiliate of the Sringeri Mutt. The present Jagadguru His Holiness Bharati Teertha Swamiji, is its Chief Patron. The day-to-day affairs are conducted under the sole guidance of the Jagadguru. After acquiring the Shiva temple, SVBF Canada acquired the adjacent property and built a state-of-the art community centre there. The centre was opened in 2008 and has since been the venue for numerous religious, cultural, social, youth and wellness events conducted by the local Indo-Canadian community. Construction of the temple, based on the grand tradition and rigorous guidelines of South Indian temples including a huge Rajagopuram in the front, began in 2009 and completed in June 2010. The integrated Temple Complex houses a Museum depicting the life story of Adi Shankara in beautifully carved marble panels specially commissioned from India. The entire complex was inaugurated on June 20, 2010 by a team of priests headed by Padmashri Dr. Gowrishankar, CEO of Sringeri Mutt and Trustees of SVBF USA & SVBF Canada.
To learn more about the Guru Shishya Paramapara and the Jagadgurus of Sringeri Sharada Peetham CLICK HERE
