Kaladi

The city of Kaladi is located in the region around Kochi. This small city is the birthplace of the famous Hindu philosopher Sri Adi Sankaracharya. He lived in the 8th century AD. On his travels throughout India, he spent his time debating with scholars and spreading his theory of monotheism or Advaita. The Adi Sankara shrine and the 8-story painted Adi Sankara Keerthi Sthambam are popular sites to visit in the area. The location of Adi Sankara shrine is on the bank of the river Periyar. Samadhi of the mother of Aryamaba, Sankaracharya is also enclosed in the temple. The location where young Sankara was held by a crocodile on the river bank can also be seen in the vicinity. Sankaracharya's story is told with the help of paintings found on the walls inside at the monument of Adi Sankara Keerthi Sthambam.