The birthplace of Sri Adi Shankaracharya
Melpazhur Mana (Veliyanad) — Ancestral Home In keeping with the tradition where children were born at their mother's ancestral home (*Ammaveedu*), Shankaracharya was born at Melpazhur Mana, the ancestral home of his mother, Aryamba. Today, this ancient *Mana* is known as 'Adi Sankara Nilayam' and serves as the headquarters of the Chinmaya International Foundation (CIF). The room where Shankaracharya was born, along with the traditional *Nalukettu* structure, has been preserved intact to this day.
