Thickly forested Shankaracharya Hill is topped by a small Shiva temple, Shankaracharya Mandir , built from hefty blocks of visibly ancient grey stone. Previously known as Takht-i-Sulaiman (Throne of Solomon), it’s now named for a sage who reached enlightenment here in AD 750, but signs date the octagonal structure as 5th century and the site is even older.
Some claim, controversially, that a previous temple here was once renovated by Jesus and St Thomas. Access is by a winding 5.5km road from Nehru Park (₹300 return by autorickshaw). From road’s end the temple is five minutes up a stairway from a police checkpoint where you must leave phones and cameras before reaching the panoramic views of Srinagar and Dal Lake.
