Shri Swarnavalli Mhasamsthana of uttar Kannada district is one of the famous and the main Shankar peethas in India. Besides propagating Hindu religion and religious heritage. Shri mutt looks scientifically at nature, education, culture and other fields and becomes the driving force. Shri mutt has the history of one thousand two hundred years.
Shri mutt was founded by Aadi Shankaracharya at Dashashwamedha Ghat kashi in 9th century. Shri vishwavandya Saraswati Swami was the first seer of Shri mutt. Sanskrit inscription proves that Shrimatha was shifted from kashi to Ujjain and was patroned by the king Vikramaditya. Shrimath was at Rushyashranga for sometime and was shifted to the famous religious place Gokarna in 12th century.
When Shri mutt was in Gokarna Haivarasa and Vijayanagara Kings patroned Shrimath with faith and devotion. Immadi Harihar’s Gokarna inscription proved it. The copper plate inscription of 1405 informs that Swarnavalli Math was at Aadityeshwar temple in Gokarna. It also shows that Swarnavalli Math was at Aadityeshwar temple in Gokarna. It also shows that Swarnavalli Math was in Gokarna till the middle part of 15th century. Then shri math was in kadatok till the end of 15th century. Shri mutt was shifted to Bhimanapada sonda, in the beginning of the 16th century.
The 10th and 11th century inscription informs that Bhimanapada, sonda was the spiritual place. Shri mutt was in existence at Bhimanapada for seventy five years. Shri mutt had mud building. Even today we can see the remains of old Shri mutt at Bhimanapada.
In the middle or 16th century Immadi Arasappanayaka was ruling the areas of sonda. The King had no children. He told his problem to the 31st seer of Swarnavalli Math, Herechandra Shekhar Saraswati Swami. Swami suggested the king to carve “Shiva Lingam” on the bank of the shalmala. Then the king got a son. The King had deep devotion on swamiji. He shifted the Shrimath from Bhimanapada to the place where shrimath is now. He constructed new shri mutt at sonda and named it “Swarnavalli” in 1555.
The inscription on the south wall of Shri mutt proved the incidents. Then Shri mutt continued the legacy of penance. All the kings showed their devotion on shrimath. The king Arasappanayaka donated and gave 16 [seemas] regions for the service of Shri mutt. There is a special inscription infront of Narasimha Temple at shrimath which belongs to the King of sode, Savayi Ramachandra Nayak, who ruled in the middle of 17th century. Ramachandra nayaka who belonged to the king’s family performed ‘special yaga’ under the leadership of Sarvajnendra Saraswati Swami of that time. The inscription informs that the king ruled the state with Swamiji. The kings had a special devotion on Swarnavalli math.
The Present seer Shri Gangadharendra Saraswati Swami has concern for nature and education. Swamiji has continued the legacy of penance also. Swamiji conducted “Bhagavad Gita Campaign” program on “ Society without bad habits” swamiji has concern for agriculture by all these noble deeds, Swamiji is well known in the country.