Sree Narayana Gurudev Samadhi, Sivagiri Mutt, Varkala, Kerala

Sree Narayana Guru was born at 6-15 a.m on August 28, 1855 (1031 chingom 14 / M.E)  in “Vayalvaram Veedu” at Chempazhanthy, a village near Trivandrum in a community which possessed no rights and privileges and was totally neglected for far centuries. The then society was laden with many evils like caste system, untouchability and unapproachability. They were denied of freedom even  to walk through public places and roads, and educational institutions, places of worship, government services and the like were prohibited to them. They were always persecuted and tortured in the name of caste. During the boyhood days itself Guru could realise this miserable condition of the people. He was very clever at his studies and took a keen interest in reading  religious and educational literature. He learnt Sanskrit and became  very proficient in it which enabled him teach it to many others. He took a decision to offer himself to  redeem the downtrodden and the society as a whole.

      He left home and retired in the forests of Aruvippuram, in the Trivandrum District, where he lived in the midst of wild animals and reptiles. Occasionally  when he came out  from the thick forest, people flocked at him as they considered him a divine man, a wonder worker and a great healer. He did effect several miraculous cures. He also displayed extraordinary powers on many occasions. A mystic of dynamic temper, a practical yogi, Sree Narayana Guru went far and wide in his spiritual search for the answer to the problems of life. He studied India’s most sacred books and grew stronger on his will and finally emerged himself as one of the greatest of modern Saints.

    Having obtained yogic powers and transcendental vision as a result of the penance of arduous and intense austerities,Gurudevan instead of retiring to solitary place as traditional Indian Sanyasins, slowly began to reform the society, keeping in mind the oneness and divinity of mankind and unity in their life. For that he first resolved to bring about a revolution in the methods of  worship in temples. He strove to bring up the low caste people on a par with the highest class of  people. Guru formulated the fundamental and essential message of Adwaitha Vedanta a practical philosophy of day to day life as “ONE CASTE, ONE RELIGION, ONE GOD FOR MAN ” and declared it on August 28, 1921.