The Shankaracharya Hill is a massive natural structure looming over the city of Srinagar and the Dal Lake in the Kashmir Valley. The hill was once depleted of all its tree cover due to widespread deforestation activities. But now it sports a considerable amount of forest cover thanks to the massive afforestation drive that the concerned authorities started. The hill offers some breathtaking views of the city of Srinagar and the Dal Lake in particular. It is particularly popular with photography junkies who visit it just to take beautiful panoramic shots of the Kashmir Valley.
But the real major attraction in the hill is the Shankaracharya Temple located on top of the hill. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, and the original structure is almost 2200 years old. The current building though was built around millennia later. The temple was supposedly a Buddhist shrine at the beginning but was later converted into a Hindu temple by the guru, Adi Shankaracharya from whom the temple derives its name. Different rulers from different cultures have ruler the Kashmir Valley over the years, and all their influences are a part of the very history of the temple. The temple even has Persian inscriptions on its walls, one of the very few temples in India where they can be found. The temple is now frequented daily by the locals as well as tourists and is an active place of worship.
