Swami Narayan Guru

Tributes were paid to spiritual leader and social reformer Sree Narayana Guru on his 164th birth anniversary on 2 September 2020.
Narayana Guru was born in 1864 in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram.
He was a great social and religious reformer.
His family belonged to the Ezhava caste (lower caste as per social traditions).
The pioneer reformer rejected caste system and stressed on equality of man and education for all.
He was influenced by Vedanta and gave universal message- One caste, one religion, one God.
In 1888, he built a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva at Aruvippuram.
In one temple he built at Kalavancode, kept mirrors instead of idols, to symbolise that the divine was within each individual.
He taught Sanskrit and Upanishads to students from all castes.
Literary works: Atmopadesa Satakam which he composed in 1897.
He also founded an Advaita Ashram in Kalady.
He also lent his support to Vaikkom Satyagraha (aimed at temple entry in Travancore for the lower castes).