Legend of Karumadikuttan

It is an applied belief that Buddhism prevailed in Kerala from the 3rd century when Buddhist monks travelled south on their mission of propagating the teachings of Buddha. It was only in the 8th century that Hinduism took prominence and people moved on to their cultural faith. Evidence of Buddhist temples & statues being found later have only confirmed these beliefs. No other evidence of Buddhism is as important as the find of Karumadikuttan in the small village of Karumadi near Ambalapuzha. The 3 ft tall black granite statue of Buddha in his most common lotus posture is a piece of history whose origins are unknown but it does take people back to believe in the teachings of Buddha which would have changed the cultural fabric of the place centuries ago until it was lost to time.

The statue said to have been sculpted in the 11th century does not have any written document of who made it but it is believed that Buddhist monks brought it from either North India or Ceylon. What one can certainly see is that the statue has been witness to some violent past as the entire half portion on the left is missing. The reason for this is also unclear although the local folklore is that it was attacked by an elephant when it was placed under a tree by the monks or another famous thought of it being damaged by fanatic Muslim rulers who invaded these parts in the 13th century. Both the stories may be difficult to substantiate but it is a fact that the statue was found in the stream of Karumadithodu. A British engineer by the name of Sir Bristov found the statue in 1930 & placed it inside a shrine for all to see. The statue thus saw the light of the day due to his keen eye & efforts.

The existence of the statue only tells us that Buddhism did flourish in these parts & the name of the statue may have been based on its colour or the fact that it was found in Karumadithodu. The word Kuttan in Malayalam means young man or young boy. The shrine was visited by His Holiness Dalai Lama in 1965 & he constructed the pagoda enclosure to keep the statue safe. Today the place is taken over by the Archaeological department & the site has resting sheds, paved footpaths, lights & information centre to facilitate visitors who come here.

Any person, who comes to Alleppey, should take time off and come to the village of Karumadi to visit the Karumadikuttan temple & pay respects to Lord Buddha who spread the word of love to the world. It is also the only Buddhist temple in Kerala so one can certainly be part of history here.