The visit
to this Sree Krishna Temple, at Kalady, was a part of the Malai Nadu Divya Desams visit from 10th to 14th June 2025, organized by Mantra Yatra (website). Thanks to Mr. Balaji Davey and
his team of Mantra Yatra for the excellent arrangement and personal care.
The Adi Shankaracharya Birthplace
Temple complex, with this Krishna Temple, is on the banks of the Periyar (Poorna)
River. This Krishna temple is in the western part of the Mutt.
Moolavar: Sree Krishna
Some of the salient
features of this temple are….
The temple faces East
with an entrance to the Gopuram. The painting of Krishna brought the river near Adi
Shankara’s mother’s feet, and Adi Shankara is on both sides of the entrance to
the temple. Dwajasthambam and balipeedam are after the entrance mandapam. In the sanctum sanctorum, Krishna is in a standing posture holding a butter ball.
Parasurama and Adi Shankara’s sannidhis are in the namaskara mandapam.
In the praharam, Sree
Ganesha, Shiva and Goddess Parvati, and Sree Dharmasastha.
ARCHITECTURE
The temple consists
of the sanctum sanctorum/ Sree Kovil, Namaskara mandapam, nalambalam, and
thiruchuttambalam. The Sree Kovil is square in shape with two tala pyramidal vimanas,
built in Kerala style.
PC - Website
PC - Website
HISTORY AND
INSCRIPTIONS
Krishna is the family deity of the
Jagadguru and the presiding deity of the temple. Krishna’s idol was
re-consecrated by Acharya himself in the year 795 CE.
This is the birthplace of Adi Shankaracharya, who was born in 788 CE. His teachings were the Advaita Vedanta.
Kalady, the Adi Shankara Janma Bhumi
Kshetram, or birthplace of Sri Sankara, remained obscure/until the
beginning of the 20th century. Jagadguru Sri Sachidananda Shivabhinava Narasimha
Bharathi Swamigal, the 33rd Peetathipathi of the illustrious Sringeri guru
parampara, with the help of Sri Moolam Thirunal Ramavarma Maharaja of
Thiruvitamcore, established Kalady. His Holiness built two temples, one for Goddess
Sharadamba and one for Sree Sankara. The Kumabhishekam was performed on the
auspicious Magha Shukla dwadasi in the year 1910 (21-02-1910). Then, after
Kalady grew into prominence as a great international pilgrimage center. The Maha
Swamiji began the conduct of Sree Shankara Jayanthi and Navarathri at Kalady
from that time.
Total complex land was donated by
Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma Maharaja of Travancore (1857 – 1924 CE).
LEGENDS
Acharya and his
mother used to visit the temple every day after taking a holy bath in the nearby
river Poorna (Periyar). One day on the way, seeing his mother tired of walking,
boy Shankara prayed to Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna told the boy to mark a place
and “Let the river reach a place marked by your feet”. The river reached the
spot, marked by boy Sankara, and his mother took the holy bath. The place is known
as ‘Sasalam’, now called Kalady. The people of the place are called ‘Thrikkaladiyappan’, and the bathing ghat is called “ArattuKadavu”.
In another legend, on
an Akshayathritheeya Day, Acharya went in the morning to collect his daily
“Alms” (bhiksha), and he reached an old, doomed Brahmin house. An aged woman
suffering and starving, tears on her face, appeared before Acharya holding only
a dry gooseberry in her hand. On seeing the sorrow on her face, Acharya chanted
the “Kanakadharasthavam Sthothram”. When the 19 slokas were completed, a
shower of golden gooseberries fell at her house. This house was later known to be
“Swarnathu Mana” (Golden Mana), which is still situated at a distance of some 25
km from Kalady Sri Krishna Temple. As a mark of this auspicious event, on every
Akshayathritheeya day, Kanakadhara Yajnam is conducted in Kalady Sree Krishna
Temple.
POOJAS AND
CELEBRATIONS
Apart from regular
poojas, special poojas are conducted on Sree Shankara Jayanthi, Navaratri, Krishna Jayanthi, Kanakadhara Yanjam performed on Akshayathritheeya Day, Sri Sankara
Jayanthi, and the Annual festival are the prominent feasts celebrated every year etc.
CONTACT DETAILS
The Honorary Manager,
Sri Sringeri Shankara Math,
Kalady, Eranakulam
District – 683574
Phone: 0484-2462350,
0484-2465922
E-mail: sringerikalady@sify.com
TEMPLE TIMINGS
The temple will be
kept open from 05.00 hrs to 10.00 hrs and from 17.00 hrs to 19.30 hrs.
HOW TO REACH
The Adi
Shankaracharya’s Birthplace Temple complex, with this Krishna Temple, is 1 km
from Kalady Bus stand, 7 km from Angamali Railway Station, 22 km from Aluva
Railway Station, and 7 km from Cochin Airport.
The nearest Railway
Station is Angamali Railway Station.
LOCATION OF THE
TEMPLE: CLICK HERE
PC - Website
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OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---
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