Shri Sharada Peetha is one of the four cardinal institutions (mathas) established by Adi Shankaracharya, who unified and rejuvenated Hindu philosophy and spiritual practices across India. The Sringeri Peetha occupies a special place as the Dakshinamnaya (southern) Peetha, responsible for preserving and promoting Advaita Vedanta, Sanskrit learning, temple rituals, and Vedic scholarship.

The temple’s presiding deity is Goddess Sharada (also known as Sharadamba) — a form of Goddess Saraswati, worshipped as the embodiment of knowledge, wisdom, culture, and intellectual excellence.