Kalady
Grama Panchayat

Social and Cultural Background

History says that before the 12th century, the Chera king Kulasekhara Rajasekhara Varma visited Shankaracharya at Kalady (Kerala History – Sreedhara Menon). Several places associated with the history of Shankaracharya still exist in Kalady today, including Muthalakkadavu, Aryamba Samadhi Sthal, Karthyayani Temple, the Sreekrishna Temple believed to have been consecrated by Sri Shankara himself, Thiruvellamanthulli Temple, and Puthenkavu Bhagavathi Temple.

In AD 1906, Sir Madhava Rao, the Diwan of Travancore, acquired the Kandakkara property where Kaippilli Illam stood, along with 25 acres of adjacent land, enclosed it with walls, and established the present Sringeri Temple and related institutions there (Ernakulam District Director, 1961). The temple was inaugurated in 1910 by the 33rd pontiff of Sringeri Mutt, Sri Sachidananda Shivabhinava Narasimha Bharati Swamigal.

The great personality mainly responsible for the revival of Kalady was Swami Agamananda. During the peak of the Indian freedom movement, he established the Ramakrishna Ashram in 1936. During the Vaikom Satyagraha, it was Sri Agamananda Swamigal who played a catalytic role in allowing temple entry for oppressed castes.

Although there were once ten prominent Namboothiri illams during the lifetime of Shankaracharya, only two are said to remain today, connected with the funeral rites of Aryamba, Shankaracharya’s mother. During the national movement period, most of the land in Kalady was owned by prominent landlords such as Panayil Pazhoor Mana and Parayath Menons.

As a result of the Swami’s efforts, a Sanskrit school and later Sree Sankara College were established in 1953 alongside the Advaita Ashram. In 1958, as part of the Bhoodan movement, a farmers’ conference held at Sree Sankara College was attended by national leaders such as Vinoba Bhave, Jayaprakash Narayan, and other distinguished personalities.

It was during this period that the neglected Sreekrishna Temple and Aryamba Samadhi were renovated, and the Sringeri Temple was modernized into an important pilgrimage center. Educational institutions such as Brahmanandodayam School, Sanskrit UP School, and Junior Basic School continue to function under the Advaita Ashram.

Inspired by the fame of the famous Kanjoor Church, several important Christian churches were also established in Kalady. The Kalady Juma Masjid, Mekkalady Hurool Islam Madrasa, and Muslim mosque highlight the significance of the Muslim community, making Kalady a land symbolizing cultural harmony among different religions and communities.

The Shivaratri festival, once discontinued for many years, has been celebrated annually at the spacious Kalady Manappuram grounds. The Kalady Shivaratri celebrations officially began in 1953. The Pooram festival at the Karthyayani Devi Temple at Manickamangalam, associated with Shankaracharya, is also famous.

Apart from traditional temple arts such as Melam and Panchavadyam, other art forms including music concerts, dance performances, storytelling, and drama are also promoted. Folk arts like Mudiyettu, Koothu, Ottanthullal, and Pathakam have become familiar in this panchayat through temple stages. Until recently, Kathakali performances were conducted during festivals at the Manickamangalam and Thiruvellamanthulli temples.

The temples of this region have made a modest contribution to Kerala’s cultural renaissance. The library movement in this panchayat has a history of more than half a century. As remnants of ancient tribal culture, sacred groves, huts, and shrines known as “Kavus,” “Kottils,” and “Pathis” can still be found in various parts of the panchayat, and many homes continue to preserve these traditions even today.