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).
