South India is replete with rich culture, great traditions, remarkable socialand cultural reformers and great personalities. Hence it is one of the most diverse and richest regions in the world, when it comes to festivals, celebrations and traditions. One such great reformer who lived in south India was Sree Narayana Guru, who preached the important message of social equality and unity among the people in the 19th century.
His contribution to the society and mankind was so valuable that to commemorate his teachings and honor his existence, every year a festival is celebrated in his name known as the Sree Narayana Guru Jayanthi.
This festival marks the birthday of this saint and is celebrated on the chathayam asterism of the Malayalam month of Chingam. It is mainly observed by the ezhava, billava and idiga communities of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. However it is not only celebrated in these regions but also all over the world because his teachings have a universal impact.
Sree Narayana Guru was born in the year 1856 into an Ezhava family. During that time caste system and social inequality was rampant in Kerala society. People belonging to backward communities were discriminated against in various spheres of life. However he decided to put an end to this and revolted the established order of casteism and fought for the freedom of spirituality and social equality.
His teachings transformed the Kerala society and he became a prophet for the discriminated and the downtrodden and was fondly called as ‘Gurudevan’. His most important teaching was ‘one caste, one religion, one god’, which challenged the age old system of hierarchy and subjugation of one caste by another. He wanted to remove such inequality for he firmly believed that everybody was equal in the eyes of god.
He mastered Vedic knowledge and had amazing poetic proficiency. He believed in the principle of non violence and respected the views of others. He never imposed his teaching or philosophy on others and respected people’s opinions and ideas.
However he was strongly determined to remove the social inequalities prevalent in the society at that time and worked relentless to educate people about the ill effects of such practice.
He established temples and educational institutions to spread the message of unity and oneness. With his determinism he was able to bring significant changes in the society and liberate people from the bondages of inequality and discrimination. For his contribution every year his birthday is celebrated with great respect and devotion as Sree Narayana Guru Jayanthi.
On this day, communal procession for peace and harmony, conferences on peace and equality, floral tributes, prayer meetings, community and social services, feasts for the poor etc are organised and observed by his followers. His teachings and leadership did great good to the Hindus who were divided on the basis of caste.
He helped them to unite and prevented them from converting to other religions to escape the injustices and disadvantages of Hinduism. Till today his teachings are highly regarded and practiced by his followers
