Kalady
Grama Panchayat

translate to malayalam - History of the Institution

Social and Cultural Background

It is stated in history that, before the 12th century, the Chera King Kulasekhara Rajashekhara Varma visited Adi Shankaracharya at Kalady (Kerala History – Sreedhara Menon). Several places associated with the history of Adi Shankaracharya still exist in Kalady, including Muthalakkadavu, the Samadhi place of Aryamba, Karthyayani Temple, Sree Krishna Temple, believed to have been consecrated by Adi Shankara, Thiruvellamanthulli Temple, and Puthenkavu Bhagavathy Temple.

Sri Madhava Rao, who was the Diwan of Travancore, acquired the Kandakkara property, where Kaipilli Illam was situated, along with 25 acres of adjoining land in Kalady in AD 1906. The present Sringeri Temple and other institutions were established there after enclosing the area with a compound wall (Ernakulam District Director, 1961). The temple was inaugurated in 1910 by Sri Sachidananda Shivabhinava Trisinha Bharathi Swamiji, the 33rd pontiff of the Sringeri Mutt.

The great personality who played a major role in the awakening and development of Kalady was Agamananda Swami. During the peak of the freedom struggle as part of the national movement, Agamananda Swami established the Ramakrishna Ashram in 1936. During the height of the Vaikom Satyagraha, Srimad Agamananda Swami played a catalytic role in enabling the entry of people belonging to the oppressed communities into temples.

During the lifetime of Adi Shankaracharya, there were reportedly ten prominent Namboothiri Illams in the area. However, it is said that only two Illams associated with the history of Adi Shankaracharya and which cooperated in the post-death rituals of Aryamba have survived.

During the period of the national movement, much of the land in Kalady was owned by prominent landlords and local chieftains, including Panayil Pazhoormana and Parayath Menons.

As a result of the efforts of the Swamis, a Sanskrit school was established in association with the Advaita Ashram, and Sree Sankara College was established in 1953. As part of the Bhoodan Movement, a farmers' conference was held at Sree Sankara College in 1958, which was attended by national leaders such as Vinoba Bhave, Jayaprakash Narayan and other prominent personalities.

The renovation of Sree Krishna Temple and the Samadhi of Aryamba, which had faded into obscurity over time, and the renovation of the Sringeri Temple, making it an important pilgrimage centre, also took place during this period.

Brahmanandodayam School, Sanskrit Upper Primary School and Junior Basic School are functioning in association with the Advaita Ashram.

With the fame of the historically renowned Kanjoor Church among the Christian places of worship in Kerala, several churches of Christian significance were also established in Kalady. The Kalady Juma Masjid, the Hurul Islam Madrasa at Mekkalady and the Muslim mosque reflect the importance of the Muslim community. Together, these institutions have made Kalady a sacred land representing human culture and a meeting place of people belonging to different religions and communities.

The Shivaratri celebration, which had remained discontinued for a long period and is regarded as the major festival of Kalady, has been celebrated for many years at the vast Kalady Manappuram. The Kalady Shivaratri celebration was started in 1953.

The Pooram festival at the Karthyayani Devi Temple at Manickamangalam, which is associated with Adi Shankaracharya, is also famous.

In addition to traditional temple arts such as Melam and Panchavadyam, various other art forms such as music concerts, classical and other dance performances, Kathaprasangam and dramas are also given importance.

Traditional art forms such as Mudiyettu, Koothu, Ottan Thullal and Paadakam are also familiar to the people of this Panchayat through performances held at these temple venues. Until a few years ago, Kathakali was also performed during festivals at the Manickamangalam and Thiruvellamanthulli temples.

The temples in this region have made a small but significant contribution to the history of the cultural renaissance of Kerala.

Library activities in this Panchayat have a history of nearly half a century.

As part of the old tribal culture, places of worship known as Kavus, Kottils and Pathis can be found in various parts of the Panchayat. These traditional cultural and religious practices can still be seen in many households even today.