Kalady

Kalady is a quaint village located on the banks of Periyar River in the Ernakulam district of Kerala in India. Famous as the birthplace of Sri Adi Shankara (Philosopher saint and discoverer of Advaita order), this is a majestic Hindu religious site adorning South India with numerous temples and shrines.

Kalady, which literally means “feet”, has a legend associated to its existence. Sri Adi Shankara who prayed Lord Krishna ardently to save his fainted mother was blessed with a boon from Lord Krishna that the river would flow as per the foot marks of Shankara. It is believed that Sri Sankara diverted the course of River Poorna (Periyar), then flowing far from his house for his mother, so that she could take her daily bath in the river without walking longer. A shrine built in the memory of Sri Adi Shankara is the prime attraction of Kalady. This octagonal memorial shrine is a 9 storeyed tower presenting different aspects of the saint’s life and 6 different forms of worshipping. Apart from that, there are shrines dedicated to Goddess Sharada and Dakshinamurti too.

August to November (Festivals) and December to February (Winters)

The must visit places at Kalady are places of worship, which include:

Food here is mainly south Indian. But there are lots of options. Other than the idlis, vadas and dosas that people are normally used to, there are other options like appam, coorgi roti, tamarind rice, lemon rice, nachini dosa and others. North Indian food items are not common here. You can find eateries like Lakshmibhavan, Sangeetha and Aryas that offer a wide variety of delicious dishes.

Other than the objects related to the pilgrimage site, there isn't much shopping to do in this place.

You can fly to Cochin International airport and take a taxi or bus to Kalady, which is about 8 km. away. There are railway stations like Angamaly (about 13 km. away) and Aluva (17 km. away) that are reachable from Kalady. You can take a bus or taxi from the railway station or from main towns like Kozhikode, Kottayam, Palakkad, Thiruvananthapuram and Thrissur. Tourist information brochures have details on the transportation facilities in Kalady. Sightseeing in Kalady can be done on foot or in auto rickshaws.

There are other temples like Mattoor Thiru Vella Man Thulli, Nayathodu Shankara Narayana Temple, Manjapra Karpillykavu Shiva temple, Thekke Madhom Shankara Sthanam and Aryadevi Samadhi Mandapam that you can visit in Kalady. The history of these places is well scripted in the city guide of Kalady.

Malayattoor is about 9 Km. away from Kalady and is located in the Ernakulum district of Kerala. The mountain and lake here attract a lot of tourists. Though too many people do not reside here, this is a choicest picnic spot for people visit Kalady. About 20 Km. away from Kalady is the Kallil temple . It is the birthplace of Adi Shankaracharya and is famous for being a Jain temple of the 9th century. The entire temple is set up in a 28 acre plot and the temple is cut from one single rock. This is a major religious seat not only for Jains but also for those who believe in Adi Shankaracharya.

There aren't too many hotels in Kalady. You can stay at the government rest house, the Ramakrishna Asram, and a few other lodges. They are quite affordable and provide the basic comforts.