Sharada Math

One of the four maths or sacred centers
for Hindu ascetics (often translated as
“monasteries”) traditionally believed to
have been established by the great
philosopher Shankaracharya; the others are the Jyotir Math, Shringeri Math,
and Govardhan Math. These four sacred
centers are each associated with one of
the four geographical corners of the
Indian subcontinent; the Sharada
Math is in the western quarter, in the
city of Dwaraka in the state of Gujarat,
on the shore of the Arabian Sea.
Shankaracharya is traditionally cited as
the founder of the Dashanami Sanyasis,
the most prestigious Hindu ascetic
order. The Dashanami (“ten names”)
ascetics are devotees (bhakta) of the god
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Sharada Math
Shiva who are divided into ten divisions,
each with a different name. These
ten divisions are organized into four larger
organizational groups—Anandawara,
Bhogawara, Bhuriwara, and Kitawara—
each of which has two or three of the ten
divisions and is associated with one of the
four maths. Of these, the Sharada Math is
associated with the Kitawara group.