Kalady

Located near the Cochin city of Kerala, Kalady is a famous pilgrim center, which is the birthplace of the great Indian philosopher of the 8th century, Adi Sankaracharya. The only son of Sivaguru and Aryamba, he is said to have completed the study of Vedas at the age of 16 itself. He also evolved the philosophy of Advaita, one of the two principals of the Vedantic school asserting the sole existence of Brahma. There are two major shrines located in Kalady, dedicated to the memory of Adi Sankaracharya. One is devoted to him as Dakshinamoorthi, while the other is dedicated to Goddess Sharada and is looked after by the Sringeri Mutt, which is believed to be situated exactly at the same place where Adi Sankaracharya's house once stood.