It is believed that Sri Sankara's Upanayanam (thread ceremony in boyhood, marking entry into the stage of student hood or Brahmacharya) was conducted here. Known traditionally as 'Melpazhur Mana', this place has been fittingly renamed by Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda as Adi Sankara Nilayam.

Named Nallukattu(four winged structure), this ancient Nambudri Family home is an excellent example of the splendid architectural style of old Kerala, in which structural strength is admirably blended with practical utility and artistic workmanship. Even after centuries, the exquisite wooden paneling and engraving endures, bearing eloquent testimony to the keen craftsmanship of ancient days.

The sprawling Nallukattu stands on an 8.3 acre plot of land amidst luxuriant sun blessed greenery, a water pond and a temple complex with the shrines of Shree Ayyappa, Shree Rama, Shree Krishna, Vettakkorumagan (Kirata Shiva, the family deity of Melpazhur Mana), Nagayakshi and Bhagavati. In such an auspicious and uplifting environ stands the meditation hall, a memorial built in memory of our Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda.