Kalady in my heart: A once in a lifetime Upanayanam

Kalady is the birth place of Adi Shankaracharya, the greatest spiritual philosopher of Hinduism.   Adi Shankara was the proponent of Advaita Vedanta - Brahman alone is real; the world is ultimately an illusion.  His ideal of non-dualism unified diverse schools of Hindu thought.  He played a major role in upholding Sanatana Dharma and spreading Vedanta.  Kalady is a quiet riverside village in Kerala, set along the banks of the Poorna river, surrounded by lush greenery and a serene, unhurried pace of life. Its temples, ghats, and gentle landscape create a natural atmosphere of reflection and devotion.

When my wife and I had the initial germ of thought about Akhil's Upanayanam, I immediately went to my favorite, Sringeri, a place nestled in the beautiful Western Ghats, and we also thought about Kanchipuram, home of the Maha Periyavaa, a revered 20th century saint of the Kanchi Mutt, and in the eyes of many, a walking God.  My parents were here in the US in early 2024 and one day, as a family, we were going to the Fremont Siddhivinayak Temple.  On the way to the temple, my parents asked about Akhil's Upanayanam, and we laid out our thoughts about Sringeri and Kanchi.  We also said that it's going to be impossible to visit India in the summer of 2024.  So, if everything aligned, we should be able to successfully conduct Akhil's Upanayanam in the summer of 2025.  With that, we reached the temple, had a good darshan of Pillaiyar and as is the common wont, we sat on the floor for a few minutes in silence.  Then, one of the priests of the temple came over and asked, 

Enna, Thambikki poonal aacha (Thambi is a casual way of addressing a youngster and poonal is nothing but Upanayanam).

Illai mama (No mama).  We were just talking on the way, and we were thinking of Sringeri or Kanchi.

To which, he responded,

Appadiyellam yosikkambodhu (If you are thinking that way), why don't you think of Kalady? 

That was a Aha moment for us, and immediately, we were like, Yes, that's it.  We should have it in Kalady.  That's how the idea took root.   This was January of 2024.  After figuring out the dates, and talking to the Sringeri Mutt in Kalady, we decided to conduct Akhil's Upanayanam on July 7, 2025.  To conduct a religious and spiritual ceremony on the hallowed ground of the birthplace of Adi Shankara was something that gave me goosebumps.   Is this really happening? We still had more than a year but there was something to look forward to.  Indian ceremonies are fun but also needs meticulous planning.  Let's just say that there is a lot to work towards the logistics to successfully host an event.  With the help of our parents, and thanks to the online world, we were figuring out invites, accommodations, clothing, return gifts, stage decor, flowers, food, and other arrangements.  

You can see these events as daunting, or as a rare chance to immerse in devotion. We chose the latter.  How many families get a chance to conduct an event in Kalady? That should be such a minuscule number.  You might as well embrace the challenges that come along with it.  And that's exactly we did.  My wife and I were really excited to be blessed with the opportunity.  Just to get a thought to visit a Punya Kshetram (holy place) itself is a big deal, and to top that, to conduct a spiritual event at such a venue was something beyond measure.  So, we really got into the spirit with gusto and reverence.

It took six months of meticulous planning.  How many people are coming? How do we handle last minute additions and dropouts? We loved inviting everyone over the phone personally.  Our families are based in different cities in India, and to conduct an event in a third city which is distant from where we live is actually a planning nightmare.  Luckily, I have a supportive wife who is also deeply immersed in tradition and culture.  There is no way to pull these events if a couple is not on the same page.  It's almost impossible.  You have no idea how Kalady is. You have just heard from others about the place.  For Kalady, conducting a ritual is not a big thing, but personally for us, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity.   My father had to take a couple of trips to plan out the details.  Apart from what the Mutt offered, we went for additional AirBnB accommodations.  Everything was slowly, but surely falling into place.  

Before heading to Kalady, we made a brief but memorable stop at Guruvayur.  Guruvayur, of course, is a beautiful place.  I love visiting the beautiful temples of India, and more so love the traditions and customs of the Hindu culture.  

We reached Kalady from Guruvayur.  Just looking at Kalady felt magical.  The lush green landscape coupled with the serenity and quietness of the place just filled me with gratitude.  The ceremony lasted two days.  It was spiritually fulfilling.  The rituals were done with enormous amount of love, sincerity and devotion.  I could feel the devotion in the air.  Just to set foot on the place where Adi Shankaracharya was born, for me, was enough for a lifetime.  Just to embrace his path for a couple of days and to relive a small fragment of what he must have felt in Kalady was just emotionally overwhelming for me.  

Upanayanam is a sacred rite of passage that brings a child closer to the Vedas.  It marks the beginning of formal Vedic education for a young boy.  It's not a religious ceremony as is commonly thought.  It's more of a spiritual initiation into a life of duty, learning and devotion.  Really, it's a solemn spiritual event that is performed in the presence of immediate family members.  It's like initiating the child into Sanatana Dharma, like passing the baton of Dharma to the next generation.    

I clearly remember that during Udakashanthi and Brahmopadesam, there was a downpour.  The sound of the Vedic chants blending with the rain lent such a surreal experience.  In Hindu ceremony, rain is considered as a blessing from the divine.  It's as though nature itself is taking part in the sanctification.  No wonder people say, "Even the heavens celebrated with us."

I remember every single detail in the ceremony with clear distinction.  We had a fantastic priest to guide us in every step of the process.  He told us about the importance of the ceremony.  

To be fair, Akhil was not Akhil.  We just couldn't believe it.  It was as though he had transformed into a saint, sitting straight-backed, chanting with focus, his face serene, soaking in the love and devotion that filled the air.  All the family members were very impressed with Akhil, and they took a dig at me for having indicated earlier that he was a very naughty kid.  That to me was already a transformative experience!

I told my wife that we should create a montage video of the ceremony, a ten minute video that we can come back to, with a special message for Akhil.  

Just to paraphrase that message here.  Growing up in a different country, it's going to be difficult to follow your culture and traditions until you put in the desired effort.  To initiate this ceremony from Kalady is just spiritually special, as he follows not just anyone, but the founder of Advaita Vedanta.  Many years or even decades later, when Akhil realizes what exactly happened on July 7, 2025, I hope he looks upon that day with the same amount of reverence and devotion that his parents had as the family went through the ceremony together.  

A single question from a temple priest in Fremont set us on this path. To see it culminate in Kalady, with my family beside me and the spirit of Adi Shankara all around, felt like a blessing written long before we knew it.  This event will stay with me forever, a definite highlight of our lives.  When the last thought crosses my mind one day, I want it to be of that moment - standing in Kalady with my family, with rain and mantras weaving together and the spiritual essence wrapping us in warmth and devotion.