Kalady or Kaladi is a town located between Angamaly and Perumbavoor, east of the Periyar river, near to Malayattoor in Ernakulam district of Kerala, India, not far from Cochin International Airport. It is notable as the birthplace of 9th century Indian philosopher Adi Shankara. Kalady came to prominence only after its rediscovery in the late 19th century by the then Shankaracharya of Sringeri and the subsequent consecration of an Adi Shankara temple in 1910. The centenary of Kalady was celebrated in May 2010, and the story of its re-discovery a hundred years ago has been documented in a film by the Sringeri Sharada Peetham.Cochin international airport is situated just 6 km away from the city As per the story when Sankara was a child his widowed mother, Aryamba, fell unconscious after walking 3 km for dip in the Purna River (name has recently been changed to Periyar). Little Sankara did not know what to do so and as he cried he asked Lord Krishna to help him. Moved by this gesture Lord blessed him and said that he need not walk so far to reach the river. And as promised the river changed its course and moved in the path showed by the child’s feet. It soon went into Sankara’s garden and hence this place got its name Kalady. Later on a statue of Lord Krishna was also kept here and it was converted into a temple.
