Govinda Bhagavatpada Cave

Govinda Bhagavatpada Cave, also called Shankaracharya Cave, is a natural cave on the eastern slope of Mandhata Island revered as the site where Adi Shankaracharya, then a young seeker from Kerala, met his guru Govinda Bhagavatpada and spent four years receiving instruction in Advaita Vedanta. A small main hall and sanctum with a Shivalingam occupy the cave interior. The spot is deeply sacred to followers of the Advaita tradition and is maintained by the Kanchi Shankara Math. It sits directly below the Jyotirlinga temple and is a natural second stop for pilgrims.