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Aadi Sankaran, a Viswakarma.... 

आचार्य शंकरो नाम थ्वाष्ट पुत्रो न संशय:
विप्र कुले गुरुर दीक्षा विश्वकर्म्मंन्तु  ब्राह्मण: II 

(From the book of  "Sankara Vijayam")

Meaning is that......, I am Adi Sankara born in the caste of Viswakarma and son of "Thwashta and those viswakarmas perform "upanayana"  for Vipra kula (Arsheya Brahmins)

Please read the following write up appeared  in the magazine "VISWAKARMA TODAY" and confirm that he born in the Viswakarma Thwashta family hails from Kalady , Kerala. 

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courtesy:  http://www.vishwakarmatoday.com/ 

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One of the greatest philosophers of India, Adi Shankaracharya founded the Advaita Vedanta, which is one of the sub-schools of Vedanta. Adi Shankaracharya whole-heartedly believed in the concept of the Vedas but at the same time advocated against the rituals and religious practices that were over exaggerated. On a closer introspection of the life history of Sri Sankaracharya, we find that he also started the monastic order known as Dashanami and the Shanmata convention of worship. Given here is Adi Shankaracharya biography, which will give you valuable insight into the life of this great poet and philosopher.
 

Born in a simple Brahmin family approximately in the 8th century A.D in Kaladi, Kerala, he was named as Shankara and is considered to be the incarnation of Lord Shiva. It is said that Shankaracharya's mother Aryamba had a vision that Lord himself told her that he would incarnate in the form of her first-born child. Right from childhood he showed a penchant towards spiritual knowledge. He could easily recite the Puranas and the Epics and mastered the Vedas during his early years in Gurukul. Adi Shankara's teachings were thoroughly adopted by his disciples later on.