Shankaranarayana

Shankaranarayana Village is located in Kundapur Taluk of Udupi District in Coastal Karnataka. This place is around 35 KM from Udupi. According to puranas Subrahmanya, Udupi, Kumbhakashi, Koteshwara, Shankaranarayana, Kollur and Gokarna are considered as Saptakshetra.

Mainly Shankaranarayana is considered as one of the seven holy places created by Maharshi Parashurama. This is one of the rare temples where we can see the sangam (confluence) of Shankara (Lord Shiva) and Narayana (Lord Vishnu).

Shankaranarayana village, named after the temple, is located in the valley of mountain ranges close to the Sahyadris. It is located in Udupi District, Karnataka, 25KM from the Arabian Sea.
The 7 holy places namely Subrahmanya, Udupi, Kumbhakaashi, Koteshwara, Shankaranarayana, Kolluru and Gokarna together constitute Parashurama Kshetra. These holy places are compared with seven holy places in Rama Kshetra, namely, Ayodhya, Mathura, Maya, Kashi, Kanchi, Avanthika and Puri.

The main deity of Shankaranarayana Temple is in the form of Udbhava Linga. The naturally formed lingam of Lord Shankara and Lord Narayana is one feet below the ground, inside the Garbhagudi. It is not possible to see the lingam. The Shankara Linga is on the right (left as seen by the devotees) and Narayana Linga on the left. While Shankara Lingam is in round shape, where as Narayana Linga is a flat one with foot prints of holy cow in it. Devotees believe that these were foot prints of Kamadhenu (holy cow) which had stood here for dripping milk on the Shankara Linga. There is water around Udbhava Linga at any time of the year. This holy water is called Suddhamrita Theertha.