Karumadikuttan Temple, the Best Example of Buddhist Culture in Kerala, In Early Times

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.
The TempleThe 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 9^th century to 14^th 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 VisitTough the place can be visited throughout the year; the best time to visit the place will be from the months of September to March.AccommodationThere 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 ReachBy 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.