Karumadikkuttan
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Karumadikkuttan (Malayalam: കരുമാടിക്കുട്ടൻ), literally 'boy from Karumady', is a famous three-foot-tall black granite Buddha statue located in the village of Karumadi, in the Ambalappuzha taluk of Alappuzha district, Kerala, India.[1] It is believed to date from the 9th to 14th century.[2]
The statue was long forgotten—abandoned in a nearby stream called Karumady Thodu—until the 1930s, when Sir Robert Bristow, a colonial British engineer, discovered and preserved it.[3] It is now protected by the Kerala state government. The left side of the statue is missing, and the causes remain uncertain.
The Dalai Lama visited the site in 1965.[3]
Etymology
The name "Karumadikkuttan" derives from the village name Karumadi where the statue was discovered. Several Chera kings adopted Buddhism, which influenced local art and iconography.[4]
Preservation and local significance
Initially neglected at Karumadithottam, the statue was later rescued by Sir Robert Bristow, who built a small stupa to enshrine it. Local communities believed the statue possessed healing powers for cattle and children, prompting offerings and candle-lit tributes, though no formal worship was observed. Official archaeological recognition came only in the 20th century.[5] On 14 May 2014, a local man, Rajappan Pillai, donated a broken arm fragment of the statue, preserved in his family, to the Archaeology Department; it is slated for storage at the Krishnapuram Palace.[6]
Scholarly debates
The statue’s origin is debated. Historian K.P. Padmanabha Menon described it as a Jain statue, while T.A. Gopinath Rao, head of the Travancore Archaeological Survey, classified it as Buddhist.[7][8]
Date and cultural context
Scholarship places the statue’s creation in late 8th century AD, around AD 700, based on stylistic and historical analysis.[9][10]
History and setting
The early Chera capital included parts of Alappuzha. Chera kings, often entering monastic life as elders, may have commissioned Buddhist images, explaining the presence of such statues. During the Brahmanical period, many Buddhist statues were discarded or submerged. The current stone platform installation was done by an engineer named A.H. Bristow.[11]
Description
Karumadikkuttan is depicted seated in Padmasana (lotus posture), meditating, with the hands resting in the lap—the right hand over the left. The left arm and portions of the left leg are missing. The damage is attributed to either being lifted by elephants, British-era mishandling, or deliberate destruction during Brahmanical iconoclasm.[12]
See also
References
- ^ "Karumadi Kuttan". Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
- ^ "Site of ancient Buddha statue gets a facelift". The Hindu. 20 January 2015. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
- ^ a b Biju E Paul (3 November 2014). "Renovation of Lord Buddha's Statue at Karumadi Going on". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 13 November 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
- ^ Panikkassery, Velayudhan (2001). Sanchaarikal Kanda Keralam (Kerala as seen by travelers) (in Malayalam). Kottayam: Current Books. p. 434. ISBN 81-240-1053-6.
- ^ Sadasivan, S. N. (2000). A Social History of India. APH Publishing. p. 109. ISBN 978-81-7648-170-0.
- ^ "Broken arm of Karumadikkuttan handed over". Mathrubhumi (in Malayalam). 15 May 2014. Archived from the original on 15 May 2014.
- ^ Padmanabha Menon, K.P. History of Kerala. Introduction. 1924: p. 105
- ^ Travancore Archaeological Series Vol. I–IX
- ^ Sreedhara Menon (1973). *Kerala Charithram*. NBS, p. 606
- ^ Gopalakrishnan (1991). *Kerala Samskarika Charithram*, p. 251
- ^ K.S.T. Chathura (1992), p. 126
- ^ P.J., Francine (2009). Alappuzha District Historic Memoirs (in Malayalam). Current Books. ISBN 978-81-240-1780-7.
External links
