Shankaracharya Temple

Also called Jyoteshwar Temple or Pas-Bahar, this Shiva shrine sits on Gopadri Hill, about 1,000 feet above Srinagar, with a lingam as its main object of worship. Accounts of who first built it differ, but it was razed by Sultan Sikandar and repaired or extended by many later rulers, including Lalitaditya, the Dogra ruler Gulab Singh and the King of Mysore. In 1961 a statue of Adi Shankaracharya was placed here.

The temple is square and rests on a 20-foot octagonal base in the Kashmiri style, with carved shikharas and horseshoe arches. A flight of 243 steps leads to the sanctum, and the hilltop gives wide views over the city. It is regarded as the most important pilgrimage site for Kashmiri Hindus.