Sree Narayana Guru [1854-1928]
Sree Narayana Guru was a great social reformer born on August 20th 1856 at Chempayandhi in Kerala.He was inspired by Chattampi Swamikal . He campaigned for the mitigation of caste rigidity. He worked for the establishment of the classless and casteless society.
As an untouchable caste the Ezhavas faced numerous restrictions on their dress,customs and religious practices. They were not admitted in schools and were excluded from government services. They were not allowed to enter into the premises of the temples and they had no proper place of worship.Sree Narayana Guru rebelled against the existence of inequality in the Kerala Soceity. He fought for the right of the untouchables of Kerala.
Sree Narayana Guru consecrated shrines in several parts of Kerala for the worship of the Ezhavas and permitted entry into them by other low castes considered inferior to the Ezhavas in social scale. He consecrated the Shiva shrine at Aruvippuram. To those who questioned his right as an Ezhava to consecrate temples Sree Narayana Guru gave a challenging reply that he was consecrating “the Ezhava Shiva and not the Brahmin Shiva”. At Varkala he installed the idol of Saraswathy. In 1914 at Alwaye he established an Ashram. In 1920 at Karamukku he installed a lamp as idol and declared to the audience, ‘let light radiate’. At Kalavankodam he installed a mirror with the inscription ‘Om Santi’, which would reflect the person who stands before the mirror.
Attached to the temples, there were schools and workshops. Narayana Guru gave importance to the spread of education among the backward people. Guru himself trained the people in coir manufacturing, suggested better methods of cultivation and organized an industrial exhibition at Alwaye. Toddy tapping was considered as an evil and hence it was to be abandoned. He composed poems in Malayalam, Tamil, and Sanskrit. The Darasanamala in Sanskrit is the most important of his iterary works.
He argued that Chaturvarnya was the parent of caste system and untouchability. He gave a new slogan, “one religion, one caste, and one for god man”. He also simplified rituals regarding marriage, religion, worship and funerals.
He campaigned against Talikettu Kalyanam, Tirandukuli, Pulakuli etc. The Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam[S.N.D.P] came in to existence on May 15th 1903 under the inspiration of Sree Narayana Guru. Its first annual session was held at Aruvippuram in 1904. Dr.Palpu, and Kumaran Asan later joined in SNDP. The Sadhu Jana Paripalana Yogam founded by Ayyankali was modeled after the SNDP Yogam.He was died in 1928 at Varkala.
Vaikunda Swamikal, Chattambi Swamikal, Vaikkom Abdul Khader Maulavi, Vagbhadananda, V.T.Bhattathiripad and many other social reformers also worked for the eradication of the evils of the Kerala Society.
Sree Narayana Guru was a great social reformer born on August 20th 1856 at Chempayandhi in Kerala.He was inspired by Chattampi Swamikal . He campaigned for the mitigation of caste rigidity. He worked for the establishment of the classless and casteless society.
As an untouchable caste the Ezhavas faced numerous restrictions on their dress,customs and religious practices. They were not admitted in schools and were excluded from government services. They were not allowed to enter into the premises of the temples and they had no proper place of worship.Sree Narayana Guru rebelled against the existence of inequality in the Kerala Soceity. He fought for the right of the untouchables of Kerala.
Sree Narayana Guru consecrated shrines in several parts of Kerala for the worship of the Ezhavas and permitted entry into them by other low castes considered inferior to the Ezhavas in social scale. He consecrated the Shiva shrine at Aruvippuram. To those who questioned his right as an Ezhava to consecrate temples Sree Narayana Guru gave a challenging reply that he was consecrating “the Ezhava Shiva and not the Brahmin Shiva”. At Varkala he installed the idol of Saraswathy. In 1914 at Alwaye he established an Ashram. In 1920 at Karamukku he installed a lamp as idol and declared to the audience, ‘let light radiate’. At Kalavankodam he installed a mirror with the inscription ‘Om Santi’, which would reflect the person who stands before the mirror.
Attached to the temples, there were schools and workshops. Narayana Guru gave importance to the spread of education among the backward people. Guru himself trained the people in coir manufacturing, suggested better methods of cultivation and organized an industrial exhibition at Alwaye. Toddy tapping was considered as an evil and hence it was to be abandoned. He composed poems in Malayalam, Tamil, and Sanskrit. The Darasanamala in Sanskrit is the most important of his iterary works.
He argued that Chaturvarnya was the parent of caste system and untouchability. He gave a new slogan, “one religion, one caste, and one for god man”. He also simplified rituals regarding marriage, religion, worship and funerals.
He campaigned against Talikettu Kalyanam, Tirandukuli, Pulakuli etc. The Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam[S.N.D.P] came in to existence on May 15th 1903 under the inspiration of Sree Narayana Guru. Its first annual session was held at Aruvippuram in 1904. Dr.Palpu, and Kumaran Asan later joined in SNDP. The Sadhu Jana Paripalana Yogam founded by Ayyankali was modeled after the SNDP Yogam.He was died in 1928 at Varkala.
Vaikunda Swamikal, Chattambi Swamikal, Vaikkom Abdul Khader Maulavi, Vagbhadananda, V.T.Bhattathiripad and many other social reformers also worked for the eradication of the evils of the Kerala Society.
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