Adi Shankara
"Mathas" grew over time, with the most famous and still surviving centers of Vedanta studies being those started by Adi Shankara. Adi Shankara set up four Mathas or Peethams, in the North, South, East and West of India. Puri Govardhanmaṭha Pīṭhaṃ (Odisha), Sringeri Śārada Pīṭhaṃ (Karnataka), Dvāraka Kalika Pīṭhaṃ (Gujarat) and Badari Jyotirmaṭha Pīṭhaṃ (Uttarakhand) are the four Amnaya Mathas founded by Adi Shankara.