Kalady or Kaladi is a town located between Angamaly and Perumbavoor, east of the Periyar river, near to Malayattoor in Ernakulam district of Kerala, India, not far from Cochin International Airport. It is notable as the birthplace of 9th century Indian philosopher Adi Shankara.
Kalady came to prominence only after its rediscovery in the late 19th century by the then Shankaracharya of Sringeri and the subsequent consecration of an Adi Shankara temple in 1910. The centenary of Kalady was celebrated in May 2010, and the story of its re-discovery a hundred years ago has been documented in a film by the Sringeri Sharada Peetham. Cochin international airport is situated just 6 km away from the city
Location
Etymology
In Malayalam, Kalady means "footprint". The village was previously called Sasalam. All traditional and hagiographical sources maintain that Kalady was Shankara's birthplace. It is situated on the banks of river Periyar. Kalady is believed to have been found by a chieftain named Rajasekara, whose dream was influenced by Hindu god Shiva. He also built a temple for Shiva at this place and made a settlement for Brahmins. There are two temples within Kalady - one for Saradamba and other for Shankara as Dakshinamurthi. Sringeri Mutt and Kanchi Mutt have their branches here. A tall Adi Sankara Kirti Stamba Mandapa was built by Kanchi Mutt under the aegis of its pontiff Chandrasekarendra Saraswati. A Sanskrit University is run by Sringeri Mutt within its grounds.
Places of interest
Ancient ghats
The three ghats below are adjacent, and span west to east in chronological order .
Kalady Kadavu (Aaraattu Kadavu) The Kalady Kadavu is the place where the river took its turn, and where Kalady was born. It was also the place where Shankara had first performed Aaraattu (a river bath of an idol) for his ancestral deity before installing it at its current location. For centuries, during the festival at Sree Krishna Temple, the Aarattu has been carried out at this ghat.
Crocodile Ghat
The "Muthala Kadavu," or Crocodile Ghat, is where Shankara's life turned to sannyasa (ascetic life).
His mother Aryamba did not agree with his desire to become a sannyasin. Legend says that one day, Shankara was touched by a dog and, as per custom followed by the community, Shankara had to take bath. Accompanied by mother, Shankara went to river Poorna to bathe. While in the water, a crocodile caught hold of his leg. The drowning htold his mother that the crocodile would leave him alone if she would allow him to take up sannyasa. Helpless, his mother agreed, and the crocodile freed Shankara.
Ghat of the post-funeral rites of Mother Aryamba
Here is the ghat where Shankara performed the Apara Kriyas (the rituals after death and cremation as per Nambudiri rituals) for his mother Aryamba. Today, the ghat is within the temple complex of Sree Sringeri Math.
Temples and monasteries
Shankara Temple
The Shankara Shrine in Kalady, run by the Sringeri Mutt, is a large, partly open structure situated on the northern bank of the river Periyar. There are two major shrines in the temple; one is dedicated to Shankara and the other to Goddess Saradamba, the main deity of Sringeri. The samadhi (place of death) of Shankara's mother is also located here. A small shrine to Vinayaka is the scene of evening prayers, chanted to the rhythmic ringing of cymbals. The worship in these temples is done by Tamil or Kannada Smartha Brahmins and not by Namboothiris.
Ramakrishna Advaita Ashram
The Ramakrishna Advaita Ashram is a branch centre of Ramakrishna Math, headquartered at Belur, West Bengal. It is located very near the accepted birthplace of Shankara. It has a spacious prayer hall and a shrine modeled on the Sri Ramakrishna temple at Belur Math. The Ashram also runs a school (Brahmanandodayam), a charitable dispensary, and a library.
