The Shankaracharya Temple, also called the Jyeshteshwara Temple, stands on top of the Zabarwan Range in Srinagar, at an elevation of 6,077 feet (1,852 meters). It is about 1,000 feet (300 meters) above the valley floor, and around 240 steps lead to the shrine.
Its date is uncertain. The chronicler Kalhana says King Gopaditya built it around 371 BC, while other sources credit Mihirakula. The temple has an octagonal base 20 feet (6.1 meters) high that supports a square building. Inside, four octagonal columns surround a basin with a lingam. It stands on solid volcanic rock.
Kashmiri Hindu tradition links the temple with Adi Shankara. A statue of him was installed in 1961. The Archaeological Survey of India protects it as a monument of national importance, and worship continues, especially during Maha Shivaratri.
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