Adi Sankara Keerthi Sthampa Mandapam

Kalady is a town in Kerala that lies between Angamali and Perumbavoor, to the east of River Periyar. This place is famous for being the birthplace of Sree Adi Sankara, the Indian philosopher and theologian of the 8^th century. The place where the great Adi Sankara of Kalady was born is now an important pilgrimage center in South India. Sree Adi Sankara Keerthi Sthamba Mandapam is situated to the east of the Periyar River, in the village of Kalady in Ernakulam District of Kerala. The mandapam was built by Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt. This mandapam is actually a memorial with 8 stories. The Sankara Sthoopam which is an 8-sided statue of Adi Sankara can be seen from the top of the building. The entrance to the memorial is guarded by 2 elephant statues and leads to the Paduka Mandapam. On the walls, we can see framed relief paintings denoting the story of Adi Sankaracharya. There are several big sculpture works also in the memorial, such as that of Ganapathi and Adi Sankara. The shrines of Adi Sankara in Kalady are open to all pilgrims irrespective of their religion and caste. Visitors can explore the life of Sankaracharya as they go up to the top. As already said, the renowned Sankara Sthoopam has 8 sides.