For all sanathana dharma and Adi Acharya devotees, tomorrow is a very important day. On this auspicious day, Adi Acharya received spatika lingams from Lord Shiva from Kailash and established five sankara matams in India.
Adi Sankara’s yatra to Kailasa, the abode of Lord Siva, is one of the most notable events in the history of the Acharya. During the course of his peregrination in the Himalayan region, Sankaracharya desired to have darshan of Sri Paramesvara having his abode in Kailas. Sankara managed to reach Kailas quickly because of His yogic power. He had darshan of Lord Paramesvara and Devi Parvati. According to tradition, Sankara adored Paramesvara by singing two hymns, known as “Sivapadadi-kesanta stotram” and “Sivakesadi-padanta stotram”. Immensely pleased with Sankara’s prayers, Paramesvara blessed Sankara, presented him with five sphatika (crystal) lingas and instructed him to arrange for the worship of the lingas for the sake of the welfare of the universe, indicating also the mode of worship. Paramesvara also handed over to Sankara the palm-leaf manuscript of Soundarya Lahari, which is noted as Siva’s own hymn in praise of the Parasakti. From available biographical information, it is learnt that Sankaracharya placed one of the five sphatika lingas got at Kailas and kept the Yoga Linga for his own personal worship and that of his successors at Kanchi. (Source:: http://www.kamakoti.org)
It is also believed that Lord Nandhikeswara ate the manuscripts of last 51 slokas of Soundarya Lahari that was composed on Parvathi by Lord Parameswara Himself. Sri Sankaracharya returned with the first 49 stanzas and the Lingams. Acharya was sad that he lost half of Soundaryalahiri. In his prayers, Uma Devi blessed Him to write the remainder of the slokas to complete it Himself! The sphatika Lingams are Eswara Swaroopams and Soundaryalahiri is Devi Swaroopam. There is another version of the story around Soundarya Lahari where ambal gave pratyaksha darshanam to acharyal when He was in meditation that prompted Him to write the beauty of ambal as Soundarya Lahari.
The five lingams Acharya obtained are Mukti Lingam, Vara Lingam, Moksha Lingam, Bhoga Lingam and Yoga Lingam. The Mukti Lingam was consecrated at Badhrinath in Uttarakhand. The Vara Lingam was consecrated at Neelakantha 
Mahaperiyava established a practice to celebrate this day in a grand manner in our Sri Matam and started distributed laddus on this day as prasadam to all devotees. Even during Mahaperiyava’s padha yatra days, this was done in all the places He stayed during yatra. Even today, this tradition continues in Sri Matam.
Given the fact that tomorrow is a weekend, devotees in and around Chennai, please plan to go to Sri Matam attend Lord Chandramouleeswarar puja to get the blessings. Others should spend time to pray Adi Acharya and bless us with gnanam. Nothing can please Mahaperiyava than worshipping Adi Acharya.
Don’t forget to chant Thotakashtakam & Adi Shankara Ashotram tomorrow.
Jaya Jaya Shankara Hara Hara Shankara
