Karumadikuttan is a quaint village, located at a distance
of about 14 km from Alappuzha or Alleppey
, in Kerala. There is a Buddhist temple in this village, from which the place has been named. The temple has an idol of Lord Buddha in a sitting position and the place is regarded as the prime attraction of the village. At present, the shrine has been conserved by the Archaeological survey of India.
, in Kerala. There is a Buddhist temple in this village, from which the place has been named. The temple has an idol of Lord Buddha in a sitting position and the place is regarded as the prime attraction of the village. At present, the shrine has been conserved by the Archaeological survey of India.
The Temple
The temple placed on the banks of Punnamada Lake, at a
distance of about 3 km towards east o f Ambalappuzha. The temple is renowned
for its black granite idol of Buddha, which is known as ‘Karumadi Kuttan’,
which literary means the ‘boy from Karumadi’. The idol dates back to the period
of 9th century to 14th century, during which the Buddhist
religion flourished in Kerala. The temple holds a very place in the history and
tourism of the state as it is the only temple left in Kerala, which has the
statue of Buddha. Hence, the temple proves the existence of Buddhist religion
in Kerala.
As we go through
the history of Kerala, we come to know that the Buddhist religion flourished in
the region of Kerala during the rule of Varaguna, the Ay King. During his
reign, the Buddhist monks structured several temples and monasteries that were dedicated
to Buddha. But as the Hindu religion took over the region, Buddhism slowly
started to vanish from the state. The natives of Kerala, who were earlier a
Buddhist, changed their religion to Hindu. A considerable number of images of
Buddha have been excavated from the coastal areas of Allappuzha and Qulion. The
one that tops them all is the idol of Buddha in the Karumadikuttan Temple.
The idol of Buddha in this temple is in a sitting
position. It is believed that the temple was built by a Buddhist monk, who came
to Kerala to spread the teachings of Buddha. Another interesting part about
this black granite Buddha idol is that it has been broken into half. It is
believed that an elephant charged towards the idol and broke the right side of
the idol. As you get to see the idol inside the temple, whose right portion is
broken, you start to believe on the legend up to some extent.
Best Time to Visit
Tough the place can be visited throughout the year; the
best time to visit the place will be from the months of September to March.
Accommodation
There are numerous numbers of accommodation facilities
dotted along the region of Alappuzha, as it is considered as one of the top
tourist destinations in Kerala. The hotels, resorts and guesthouses in this
region are ranged between budget, mid-budget and luxury class. All these
accommodation facilities are equipped with almost all the modern day amenities.
Hence, travelers from every economy can have a comfortable stay at this place.
How to Reach
By Air: The nearest airport to this shrine is
Cochin International Airport, located at a distance of about 85 km from
Alappuzha town. Both public and private buses along with taxis are available
from the airport to the town, from where you can hire a cab in order to get to
the temple.
By Train: The railway station in Alappuzha is well
connected with almost all the major cities within the state. Tourists can board
local taxis or auto-rickshaws from the station to get to the shrine.
By Road : The temple is easily accessible by
road from the main town of Alappuzha, located at a distance of about 14 km.
Alappuzha is well linked through road with major cities in Kerala, like Cochin
(56 km), Kollam (89 km), Trivandrum (160 km) etc.
Categories: Alleppey
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