Karumadikuttan
Situated at a distance of 3 km from Alappuzha, Karumadikuttan is popular for the large black granite statue of Lord Buddha in sitting position. It is a well-known Buddhist center in Alleppey. Built during 9th and 10th century, the statue of Lord Buddha serves as a reminder of remnants of Buddhist culture. This massive and striking stately statue of Buddha is set on the banks of 'Punnamada' lake at the backwaters. It is broken into half and kept under the protection of Archeological Survey of India. As legend says, the left part of the statue was destroyed by an elephant.
Buddhism came to Kerala in the 3rd century BCE and flourished during the reign of the Ay King, Varaguna. The Hindu renaissance in 8th century CE heralded the decline of Buddhism. Even though Buddhism did not flourish greatly in Kerala, ruined or neglected Buddha statues and images have been unearthed in the coastal districts, especially Alappuzha (Allepey) and Kollam (Quilon). Amongst Buddhist stupas and statues found in various spots of the state, Karumadikuttan is an important one.
The granite statue of Karumadikuttan Buddha is believed to have been built by Buddhist monks who visited Kerala between the 9th and 11th centuries through the port of Alappuzha, carrying the message of love and non-violence. Keralites who followed Buddhism gradually became Hindus.
The statue of Lord Buddha is under the protection of the Archeological Survey of India. It takes one and half-hours from Alappuzha to reach Karumadi by boat.