The Saradamba and Vidyasankara temples are the most important temples in Sringeri. The picture above shows the Vidyasankara temple on the left and the gopuram of the Saradamba temple on the right.

The Vidyasankara temple was built in the 14th century, by Sri Bharati Tirtha (I) and Sri Vidyaranya. The temple commemorates the memory of their guru, Sri Vidyatirtha, also known as Vidyasankara. There is an interesting legend attached to the foundation of this temple. After entrusting the Sringeri matha to his successor, Sri Bharati Tirtha (I), Sri Vidyasankara entered into a special kind of yogic sadhana called lambika yoga, and predicted that his body would assume the form of the Chaturmurti Vidyesvara sculpture, if left undisturbed for 12 years. This sculpture is now seen in Simhagiri, a village near Sringeri. The sculpture shows Vidyasankara attended by his disciples, Bharati Tirtha and Vidyaranya at the base, on top of which there is a carving of Yoga Narasimha. A Sivalinga tops the sculpture. Unfortunately, some curious attendant opened the meditation room, and only the top Sivalinga was found. This disturbed everybody at the matha, but Sri Vidyasankara appeared in a dream to Sri Bharati Tirtha and told him not to worry, although the predicted effect would not take place. Sri Bharati Tirtha and Vidyaranya then had the Vidyasankara temple constructed with this Sivalinga in the sanctum. Sri Vidyasankara is still believed to be present in the sanctum of the temple, and so the official seal of the Sringeri Matha is still in his name. The Sringeri Sankaracharyas are therefore known by the title Vidyasankara Padapadmaradhaka to this day.

The Vidyasankara temple is historically very important, as it was built during the beginning of the glorious Vijayanagar empire which ruled all of southern India for a long period of time. Some of the earliest inscriptions of the Harihara I and Bukka, the founders of the Vijayanagar empire are found in this temple. Therefore, the temple was taken under the protection of the Archaeological Survey of India in 1951. Architecturally, the temple is influenced most by the Hoysala school. It is built upon a raised plinth which surrounds the temple on all sides, and it does not have a gopuram. However, the temple vimana shows Dravidian features, and is topped by golden kalasas. The floor-plan of the temple is based on the structure of the Sriyantra. There are twelve pillars in the outer hall of the temple, each representing one sign of the zodiac. The pillars are positioned in such a way that the sunlight entering through the eastern door falls upon the pillar representing the sign of the zodiac that the sun is currently in. The pillars also have heads of lions carved on each side, with stone balls in their mouths. These balls can be freely rotated but not taken out. Various other sculptures, including Lord Siva as Nataraja, and Buddha as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu are found on the temple walls.

Other temples in Sringeri include the Bhavani - Malahanikaresvara temple on Vibhandaka hill, the Subrahmanya temple, the ancient Janardana temple and the temple dedicated to Adi Sankara Bhagavatpada, by the banks of the Tunga river. In Kigga, a few miles from Sringeri, there is a temple dedicated to Rishyasringa and Santa. The sage Rishyasringa, who lends his illustrious name to Sringeri, is represented by a Sivalinga, covered by a metal mask which has a horn on the forehead. Devotees pray to Rishyasringa for rains and to Santa for progeny and prosperity. There are numerous Adhishthanas in the premises of the matha marking the burial spots of the various Sankaracharyas over the ages and other monks. Three beautiful Adhishthanas have been built next to one another, for Sri Sivabhinava Narasimha Bharati, Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati and Sri Abhinava Vidyatirtha Mahaswamijis, in the Narasimhavana. The hermitages in which the Sankaracharya and other ascetics live are also in Narasimhavana. The Sankaracharya receives pilgrims and other visitors in the Saccidananda Vilas building, which also houses Ratnagarbha Ganapati, Chandramaulisvara linga, various Salagramas and other vigrahas which are regularly worshipped.