History : Legend holds that one day, the widowed mother of Little Sankara, Aryadevi, fainted after walking three kilometers for her daily bath in the Periyar river. Feeling helpless, Little Sankara prayed to Lord Krishna. The tears of the child moved Krishna, who blessed him thus: “the river will flow where your little feet marks. The Periyaar river took its new course in the place marked by the little boy’s feet. That place came to be called Kalady.

Sri Adi Sankara Keerthi Sthamba Mandapam

Sri Adi Sankara Keerthi Sthamba Mandapam : Sri Adi Sankara Keerthi Sthamba Mandapam, is a tall 8-storey memorial built by Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt.The entrance to the memorial, guarded by two elephant statues, leads to the Paduka Mandapam that has two silver knobs representing the ‘padukas’ or wooden sandals of the Teacher. The walls of the memorial have framed relief paintings narrating the story of Adi Sankaracharya. Several large statues of Ganapati, Adi Sankara and others are also housed in this memorial. Adi Sankara’s shrines in Kalady are open to all pilgrims irrespective of religion and caste.Visitors can review the life of Sankara Acharya as they climb to the top.

Sri Ramakrishna Advaita Ashrama : Sri Ramakrishna Advaita Ashrama, Kalady, is a monastic institution dedicated to service of God through service to man. It is affiliated to The Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission, Belur Math, West Bengal. Swami Agamananda, disciple of Swami Brahmananda, the first President of the Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission, founded the ashrama in 1936. Its President is a Swami (monk) of the Ramakrishna Order of monks. The ashrama bases its teachings on Advaita Vedanta (the philosophy of Non-dualism), as exemplified in the lives and teachings of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda. Swami Vivekananda states: “Each soul is potentially Divine.

Sri Krishna Temple : To the west of the Sringeri Mutt temple complex is a temple dedicated to Sri Krishna. This temple is known as the ancestral deity of Sree Sankara Acharya. It is mentioned as the Kula deva (ancestral deity) in verse 243 of Prabodha Sudhakaram of Sree Sankara Acharya. The temple is under Kalady Devasthanam, in trusteeship of two Namboothiri families who had close associations with the life of Sankara. It is also the only surviving structure from the time of Sankara. The worship in this temple is also conducted by Namboothiris, unlike in Shankara.

Manickamangalam Karthyayani Devi Temple : Manickamangalam is a part of Kalady village which is in Ernakulam District of Kerala. The temple is owned by Panayil Pazhur Mana an ancient namboothiri family and now administrated by N.S.S Karayogam Manicakamangalam. Devi Karthyayani( Durga ), the presiding deity is worshiped by millions of devotees not only in Kerala but also in other states of India. Sivaguru and Aryamba the parents of Adi Sankara worshiped Devi for a logtime. The deity of this sacred shrine was the Ishtadevata of Sivaguru.

Bridge over River Periyar in Kalady

Thekke Madhom Sankara Sthanam(Veda Patdhsala Of Sree Sree Sringeri Mutt ) : The Sankara Mutt established by Acharya at Trichur which respected Kalady as Birth place of Sankara , who were assigned King ship rights of Kalady in respect of Sankara for Centuries togather as “Sankara Sanketham “. They used to collect land tax even after independance which was curbed by special enactment of \state legislature . They are also given Achrya Archaka position in Sree Krishna Temple by tradition ,for centuries togather to respect Sankara . To facilitate it the Sthanam ( now veda patdhasala) was given on lease hold rights to the Mutt by Sree Krishna Temple .

Aryadevi Samadhi Mandapam : A spot dedicated to the Mother of Sree Sankara Acharya, Aryadevi, as her cremation spot is seen within the Sree Sringeri Temple groups. On the demise of his beloved mother, her cremation was performed by Sree Sankara, assisted by two of the ten Namboothiri families of Kalady. The spot was maintained with offerings of daily lamps of respect for centuries by Kappilly Mana, one of two namboothiri families who assisted in her cremation. The Travancore Highness acquired the whole area from Kappilly Mana about a hundred years ago and handed over to the Sree Sringeri Mutt, which now maintains the spot with great respect.

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 Sankara 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 Sankara’s life turned to Sanyasam (Ascetic life).

His mother, Aryadevi, did not agree with his desire to become a Sanyasin. Legend says that one day, Sankara was touched by a dog and, as per custom followed by the community, Sankara had to take bath. Accompanied by mother, Sankara went to river Poorna to bathe. While in the water, a crocodile caught hold of his leg. The drowning Sankara told his mother that the crocodile would leave him alone if she would allow him to take up Sanyasa. Helpless, his mother agreed, and the crocodile freed Sankara.

Avani Avittam Rituals

Ghat of the Post-Funeral Rites of Mother Aryadevi : Here is the ghat where Sree Sankara Acharya performed the Ápara Kriyas (the rituals after death and cremation as per Nambudiri rituals) for his mother, Aryadevi. Today, the ghat is within the temple complex of Sree Sringeri Mutt.

Man has inhabited this land from time immemorial. Like many other civilizations, the origin of culture of in Kerala is shrouded in the mist of time. Many theories exist as to its development but none have confirmed with any substantial merits the anthropology of the state. But what is most distinct is the fact that Kerala has been the most cosmopolitan and peace loving state in India. It has served as a melting pot for the cultures from the orient and the occident. A flourishing market of spices, she was called upon by the ships from all continents to collect the valuables and riches that made them.

PEOPLE WORKING IN PADDY [RICE] FIELD

Ancient roman statesmen even chided their citizens for the extravaganza they showed in procuring luxuries from Kerala. Nowhere else in the world, not even in the most urban centers of the developed world would you find people with such divers cultural and religious background living together in friendly and peaceful manner. When the Jews were driven out of central Asia during the BC’s, they came to Kerala.

When St.Thomas came here, he was amazed at the religious liberty given by the state to all its people. He established a church in Kerala in the year 52 AD when even Constantinople did not have a church. When prophet Muhammad founded Islam, Keralites embraced it and the kings here invited Arabic architects to raise mosques out of the sand.

A TYPICAL KERALA HOME

This tolerance of cultural values have persisted through the ages precisely for the reasons of antiquity, unity, continuity and universality of its nature. In its widest sense it embraces the highest achievements of the human spirit in every sphere of life. Thus, in its totality, it represents the quintessence of the collective achievements of a people in the fields of religion and philosophy, language and literature, art and architecture, education and learning and economic and social organization. In fact, all through its history the genius of Kerala has blossomed forth in all its vigor and vitality and has helped its people to reach the peak of excellence in all their endeavors.

Life in Kerala : A festival of COLORS and FLAVORS

Life in Kerala is one of the finest in the world. The social indices in Kerala point to a figure of excellence that envies even states from Europe. Its festivals and festivities have woven together an intricate pattern of colors, flavors and the spirit of life. Kerala has a wealth of folklore, folktales, folk songs, folk arts, folk beliefs, taboos and superstitions. You will come to read more about them in the ensuing links.

KERALA : A MURAL from the HEAVENS…

TEA ESTATE IN MUNNAR

Kerala is blessed with the natural bounties like air water and fertile land. Sandwiched between the mountains on the east and the vast oceans in the west, she has 44 rivers cutting across her length of 500 kms. 41 of them are west flowing and 3 of them are east flowing. They are rain fed by the monsoons every year, which paints a fresh coat of green on everything that springs from her surface. Waterfalls like the silver ornaments on a woman’s hair daunt the mountains and down below, her palm-fringed shores are kissed by the waves from the Arabian ocean.

HOUSEBOAT

The coastal state of Kerala lying on the Southwestern tip of India has commonly been called the tropical paradise of India. Bounded by Arabian Sea at one side and the Western Ghats on the other, the beautiful land with stunning beauty has an equable and tropical climate offering a pleasing atmosphere throughout the entire year. This coastal state has hot and humid climate during April-May and pleasant, cold climate in December-January.

Summer extends from the month of April to June when the temperature reaches to a maximum of 33 degrees centigrade. Summer is followed by South West Monsoon that starts pouring in the month of June and continues till September. With the arrival of winter there is certain drop in the temperature and you can feel a slight chill due to the cold wind. Winter in Kerala lasts from from November to January or February.

ELEPHANT HERD IN PERIYAR WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

The topography and the geographical relief features are marked by distinct changes from east to west and consists of

1. The Western Ghats : The mighty Western Ghats, a sequence of Rocky Mountains, edges the eastern boundary of Kerala and ascends roughly up to 1,500 m above sea level with the lofty peaks rising up to 2,500 m.
2. Hill and Valleys : The narrow piece of land on the eastern border, close to the Western Ghats, encompasses precipitous hills, deep valleys and gorges which are covered with thick woods. Almost all the rivers of the state originate here.
3. Midland Plains : These plains which lie along central Kerala, are located in the west of the hills and mountains.
4. Coastal Belt : The narrow belt of coastal land along the Arabian Sea is characterized by paddy fields, rows of coconut trees and serene, and backwaters internally linked by rivers and inland waterways.
5. Backwaters and Rivers : The Backwaters consists of lakes and inlets of oceans which straggle out in the land. The largest backwater is the Vembanad Lake which stretches out into the Arabian Sea at Cochin Port. There are 49 river/lakes flowing in the state of Kerala, among them 46 flows to the west and the other 3 flow to the east. They evolve from Western Ghats and rush towards the west into the Arabian Sea.
6. Rivers, Lakes and Backwaters : Kerala, the South Western state of Indian Peninsula can be rightly called the land of water bodies with numerous majestic waterfalls and calm backwaters, 34 lakes with sparkling azure and emerald waters, and 49 rain-fed river/lakes with copious tributaries and distributaries flowing through the land. A large number of lakes form superb destinations for backwater tours in Kerala.

The still waters of the serene lakes offer a feeling of tranquility amidst nature and one seems to get lost in the world of his own thoughts. Some of these lakes are Sasthamkotta Lake, Vembanad Lake, The Ashtamudi Lake, Pookot Lake and Akkulam Lake.

Soil and Vegetation-The state of Kerala with its wide array of topographical features such as coastlines along the Arabian Sea, hills of the Western Ghats, valleys, abundant water bodies ,is the reserve of diverse types of soil such as red, ferruginous, sandy, black, peat and loamy soil.

TIGER IN PERIYAR WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

There are an assortment of flora and other plantation crops which grow in these soils. The natural vegetation of Kerala comprises 3,872 flowering plants including 900 plants of great medicinal value.

The forested regions with an area of 9,400 km comprises tropical wet evergreen partly-evergreen forests with thick undergrowth in the lower and mid altitudes, tropical damp and arid deciduous forests in the middle altitudes plus mountainous subtropical and temperate (shola) forests in the precipitous hills. Kerala basically thrives on agriculture.

The main crops are paddy, coconut, pepper, cashew, cassava and plantation crops like rubber and cash crops are tea and coffee, spices, nutmeg, vanilla and cashew nut.

Location :Southwestern tip of India.
Area : 38, 863 sq km.
Population: 3,18,38,619
Capital : Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)
Language : Malayalam; English is widely spoken.
Religion : Hinduism, Christianity, Islam
Time : GMT +5:30
Currency : Indian Rupee
Climate : Tropical.
Summer : February – May (24 – 330C)
Monsoon : June – September (22 – 280C)
Winter : October – January (22 – 320C)

Names of Districts
Thiruvananthapuram
Kollam
Alappuzha
Pathanamthitta
Kottayam
Idukki
Ernakulam
Thrissur
Palakkad
Malappuram
Wayanad
Kozhikode
Kannur
Kasaragod

Major Cities : Thiruvananthapuram,Kochi & Kozhikode.
Taluks : 61
Revenue Villages : 1452
City Corporations : 5
Grama Panchayat : 991
Block Panchayat : 152
District Panchayat : 14

Population

Population : 318.39 [ 2001 Census ] (31.839 Millions)
Density of Population : 819 per sq kms
Share in the National Population : 3.1 per cent
District Average : 22.74 lakhs (2.274 millions)
Sex Ratio : 1058 women for 1000 men

Literacy

Literacy Rate : 90.92 per cent.
Male Literacy Rate : 94.20 per cent
Female Literacy Rate ; 87.86 per cent

Educational Infrastructure

Lower Primary Schools (I – IV) : 6712
Upper Primary Schools (V – VII) : 2951
High Schools (VIII – X) : 2608
Total Number of Schools : 12271

Higher Education

Higher Education Universities : 7
Arts and Science Colleges : 286

Physical Quality of Life Index (PQLI) : Kerala has had a commendable record in terms of the Physical Quality of Life Index. Indicators of PQLI like infant mortality (11%), female literacy (87.86%), and life expectancy at birth for males (68.23).The major reason for this achievement is Kerala’s focus on the service sector. About 37% of the total annual expenditure of the State is earmarked for health and education. Another reason for this is the existence of a larger network of hospital infrastructure under the Directorate of Health Services with 933 primary health centers and 5094 sub-centers.

Health Care Infrastructure

Immunisation has been near total in the year 2002 – 03.
T.T for Pregnant Women : 86.1%
T.T for 5 year old : 89.2%
T.T for 10 year old : 98.1%
T.T for 16 year old ; 95%
DPT : 95.8%
BCG : 103%
Polio: 95.3%
Anti-measles : 90.6%
Rate of Diseases per 1000 People -
Leprosy : 0.66
Malaria : 0.36
Filaria : 1.28
Tuberculosis : 0.70

Transaportation

Air: There are three international airports in the state. They are at Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode and Nedumbassery (Kochi) and operate international flights and domestic flights.
Road and Rail : The state is well connected by rail and road.

Seaports

Major : Kochi
Minor : Beypore (Kozhikode), Alappuzha, Kollam.
Major Beaches: Kovalam, Varkala, Fort Kochi, Kappad and Bekal.

Major Wild Life Sanctuaries : Thekkady (Periyar), Parambikkulam, Wayanad, Silent Valley, Aralm,Peechi-Vazhani, Chimani, Shenduruny, Idukki, Chinnar,Peppara, Neyyar.

Bird Sanctuary : Thattekad,Kumarakom.
Major Hill Stations : Ponmudi,Peerumade, Thekkady, Munnar and Wayanad.
Farm / Cash Crops : Rubber, Coffee, Tea, Spices, Pepper, Cashew, Coconut, Arecanut and rice.
Exports : Marine, Coir, Handicrafts, Spices, Food and other Products.
Major Industries : Tourism, Information Technology,Fertilizer, Oil Refining and Power Generation, Ship Building,

Kerala, one of the smallest states in the Republic of India, was formed in 1956. It has an area of 15,005 sq. miles. [38,863 sq. km. ] about one percent of the total land area of India.

The state stretches for about 360 miles along the Malabar coast on the western side of the Indian peninsula; its width varies from 20 to 75 miles. It is bordered by the states of karnataka on the north, Tamil Nadu to the east and the arabian sea to the west. The state has 14 districts and the capital is in Trivandrum [now Thiruvananthapuram].

CULTURE

Isolated from the deccan plateau by the mountanious belt of the Western Ghats, but with a long coastline open to foreign influences, Kerala has evolved a unique culture. It is a highly politicized region, but has a long tradition of religious amity. It is an educationally advanced state with its own language, Malayalam, and has the highest rate of literacy (100%) among Indian states.

Women in Kerala enjoy a high social status, thanks perhaps to its historic matrilineal system. Art forms of Kerala range from Kalaripayattu, the martial art believed to be the origin of various other oriental ones, to Kathakali, one of the dance forms of Kerala considered to be amongst the oldest indian dance styles. The elegant SNAKE BOAT RACES have always been the favorite of tourists visiting Kerala.

NATURE

Kerala is a land of great natural beauty. From the majestic heights of the Western Ghats the country undulates westward presenting a vista of silent valleys clothed in the richest green. Among the many rivers that glide across the plains to merge their waters with the Arabian sea, the more important are the Periyar, the Pamba and the Bharatha puzha. The elegant waterfalls at Athirampally near Trichur is a popular tourist spot.

Along the coast, sand dunes shelter a linked chain of lagoons and backwaters the still waters of which are studded with sea-gulls and country canoes plying at a snails pace. The silence of the clear skies is broken only by the coos of koels, a type of cuckoo, and the frequent flutter of cranes perched on the embankments.

The highest peak of peninsular India Annai Mudi is located in this state. The scenic Thekkady Wild Life Sanctuary is a popular vacation destination for nature lovers.

The climate is equable and varies little from season to season. The temperature normally ranges from 80 to 90 F in the plains but drops to about 70^o F in the highlands. The state gets its due share of both the southwest as well as the northeast monsoons, and the rainfall is heavy, averaging around 118 inches annually.