The matha-tradition attributes its founding to Adi Shankara, but this and the reliability of the matha's succession list has been questioned.[2][3] According to the Sri Kanchi math tradition, the matha was founded at Kanchipuram, and shifted south to the temple city of Kumbakonam in the mid-18th century due to the on-going wars, when there was warfare in the region, and returned to Kanchipuram in the 19th century.[4]
Historically, the Kanchi Math was established as the Kumbakonam Mutt in 1821 as a branch of the Sringeri Mutt, and became involved with the Kamakshi temple in Kanchipuram in 1839,[5] "set[ing] up shop in Kanchipuram at the turn of the last [19th] century."[web 2]
The peetham gained a good reputation under the charismatic leadership of Sri Chandrashekharendra Saraswati VIII (born 20 May 1894; 68th Shankaracharya 1907 – 8 January 1994), who was regarded as an avatara purusha, a realised seer.[web 3] The peetham lost authority and standing under the leadership of Sri Jayendra Saraswati (born 1935; appointed suceesor 1954; 69th Shankaracharya 3 january 1994 - 28 February 2018), who favoured an outreach to a broader audience beyond the Brahmins , but was falsely implicated and later given a clean chit by the courts in a murder-trial.[web 3] He was succeeded in february 2018 by Vijayendra Saraswathi Shankaracharya Swamigal.
With the present 70th Jagadguru Shankaracharya Shri Shri Shankara Vijayendra Saraswati Mahaswamigal's guidance, various historic events such as the Ayodhya Rama Janmabhoomi Temple inauguration, Rama Yantra Pratistha,Kumbhabhishekam of Srisailam Mallikarjuna jyotirlinga temple, Opening of Sankara Eye Hospitals in Kashi and Bihar (ongoing) are taking place.
Most of the other Pontiffs of various other mathas falling under the Shankara Sampradaya such as Edneer Matha, Balakudre matha, Dakshinamnaya Kudali Sringeri Mahasamsthanam appointed their successors after taking Guidance from the Moolamnaya Sarvajna Shri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham.
The founding of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam is traditionally attributed by its adherents to Adi Shankara.[2][a] According to the Kanchi matha's tradition, Adi Shankara was born in 509 BCE and died in 477 BCE,[6] and founded Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham in 482 BCE.[7] The chronology stated in Kanchi matha texts recognizes five major Shankaras: Adi, Kripa, Ujjvala, Muka and Abhinava. According to the Kanchi matha tradition, it is "Abhinava Shankara" that western scholarship recognizes as the Advaita scholar Adi Shankara.[6]
According to the Sri Kanchi matha documents, the matha relocated completely to Kumbakonam in the mid-18th century to escape wars and persecution,[4][web 4] returning to Kanchi in the 19th century.[4] According to Jonathan Bader and other scholars, the monastic tradition gives "fear of Muslim atrocities" from Nawab of Arcot, Mysore's Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan as the reason, but the details remain unclear.[8][9][10]
According to T. A. Gopinatha Rao, copperplate inscriptions show that the matha was located at Kanchipuram until 1686 CE,[11] and relocated to Kumbakonam, Tanjore, in the 18th century.[12] Sharma disputes Rao's interpretations of the copper plates, arguing that the dating is doubtfull, and that most plates do not refer to Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham at all.[13] According to Rao, based on the oldest record found in the respective mathas (1291 and 1346 respectively), Kanchipuram matha may be older than Sringeri Pitham.[14]
Disputed chronology
The foundation-story of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, and it's chronology of Shankaracharyas, is widely disputed.[15][2]Sringeri matha rejects the claims of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, and does not count it among the mathas established by Shankara.[16]
Modern scholarship places Shankara in the 8th century CE, and the story of the four cardinal mathas founded by Shankara dates from the 16th century, putting in question the founding stories of all those mathas,[3] though Christopher Fuller and David Smith regard the Kanchi Shankaracharyas as his "spiritual descendants."[15] According to Sunil, the history of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham has been rewritten in the 20th century, when Chandrashekharendra Saraswati was the Paramacharya.[17]
My own ancestral village, Nagavedu, is a few miles from Kanchipuram. I remember my father telling me that his father was a young man when the Kanchi Shankaracharya set up shop in Kanchipuram at the turn of the last century. He also said that his father always referred, and as did others in the area, to this new Shankaracharya as the Kumbakonam Shankaracharya. This is a nice play on the word Kumbakonam for in colloquial Tamil it is also used to refer to a shady deal.[web 2]
20th-21st century
Tensions in the temple leadership
Under the leadership of Sri Chandrashekharendra Saraswati VIII (born 20 May 1894; 68th pontiff 1907 – 8 January 1994), who was regarded as an avatara purusha, a realised seer,[web 3] the peetham gained a significant role as a traditional center of religious studies, focusing on male Brahmin students.[web 3]
His successor Sri Jayendra Saraswati was appointed as successor in 1954,[web 6] and succeeded him at 3 January 1994, staying in office until his death at 28 February 2018. Jayendra favoured an outreach to a broader audience beyond the Brahmins, propagating Hindu-values and lifestyle in general,[web 3] leading to tensions between Chandrashekharendra and Jayendra.[web 3][5] Due to these tensions, in august 1987 Jayendra disappeared for a couple of days, apparently withdrawing from the temple leadership, but returning just a couple of days later and eventually succeeding Chandrashekharendra Saraswati.[web 3][5][web 6] Jayendra broadened the scope of the peetham, supporting "schools, colleges, hospitals, and rural programmes."[web 3] He opposed Christian conversion efforts by active oureach toward the poor and down-throdden, visiting slums and poor neighborhoods.[web 3] Jayendra was also politically involved, maintaining contacts with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bharatiya Janata Party and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.[web 3]
In 2004, Jayendra Saraswathi and his junior Vijayendra Saraswati were arrested in connection with the Sankararaman murder case on Diwali day.[web 7] The court said that the complainant failed to support the prosecution and he was given bail. The trial went on till 2013 when he was acquitted by the court,[22] but the murder trial negatively impacted both his standing and his role in society,[web 3] and the image and influence the Kanchi Mutt.[web 3][web 7]
Religious center
Vedic studies
The matha offers Vedic studies to male Brahmin students in a number of pathasalas.[23] Under the leadership of Jayendra Saraswati, the peetham took a more liberal stance, also reaching out to a non-Brahmin audience.
Cultural preservation
The Kanchi monastery, along with other monasteries across India, has been an important preserver and source of historic palm leaf manuscripts.[24][25]
Chronological list of Shankaracharyas
According to the Peetham, the chronological list of Guru Paramapara of the matham is follows:[26]
In 2004, Jagadguru Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Mahaswamigal and his junior Vijayendra Saraswati were arrested in connection with the Sankararaman murder case on Diwali day.[30] The court said that the complainant failed to support the prosecution and he was given bail. The trial went on till 2013 when he was acquitted by the court.[31]
