Sivagiri Mutt: A place to know Sree Narayana Guru

 

The great renowned social reformer, philosopher & spiritual leader Sree Narayana Guru graced the lands of Kerala with his divinity uplifting people who felt their existence meant nothing for others. Fondly & respectably called Gurudevan, the Sivagiri Mutt is the headquarters of Sree Narayana Dharma Sangham which was initiated by Gurudevan himself for betterment of Ezhava people, disciples & his followers. The Sivagiri Sacred hill is the place where one can find the Mahasamadhi Mandiram of Gurudevan. The place was earmarked by Sree Narayana Guru himself because of its natural beauty with springs & short waterfalls which gave the sight of the elusive Mount Kailasa of Lord Shiva.  The mutt was built in 1904. Varkala has always been known as Dakshin Kashi & Gurudevan had come to Varkala many times, his request to the Travancore government to build a hermitage on the hill was granted at a small token & people around the hill gifted their land to Gurudevan in a gesture of love. The first construction at the Sivagiri mutt was the start of an elementary school as Gurudevan always propagated the importance of education.

The mutt became the centre of Sree Narayana movements & his disciples wanted to build a temple in the Mutt. Gurudevan accepted the request of his disciples & decided to consecrate the temple for Goddess of Knowledge. The Sarada temple is thus an important part of the Mutt as it was built in 1912 under the guidance of Gurudevan himself. The idea of a temple for Guru was not as per the usual, he believed in spirituality for all and it was necessary for God to see one and all. The Sarada temple is dedicated to Goddess Saraswati who is said to impart knowledge & her idol is made in such a way that she is seated on white lotus radiating purity. There are no rituals at the temple & devotees are free to worship while reciting hymns. The temple also unlike any other has windows on all sides and is octagonal in shape.

At the top of the hill one can now find the Mahasamadhi Mandiram which was built in 1953 many years after the death of Gurudevan. The Mandiram is where the mortal remains of Sree Narayana Guru are stored. It was in the year 1968 that the everlasting beautiful sculpture of Guru himself in white marble giving one a sense of Him being alive & looking at the horizon was installed in the Mandiram. The mutt also houses the Vaidika Mutt which was the holy abode of Guru & is the place where he met visitors during his time here. It is also where Gurudevan attained Samadhi in 1928. The place now houses belongings of Gurudevan like his famed walking stick, footwear & water pots. The kedavilakku in dedication of Avathar himself is kept here along with portraits of Guru himself. Gurudevan used to ride in a rickshaw for short trips & this was given by an ardent devotee. The Rickshaw made in Hongkong is a beautiful piece of craftsmanship & is now available for all to see in a glass enclosure here. The rickshaw is also taken out during annual celebrations for the processions. Another important structure here is the temple for Swami Bodhananda who was considered to be the most important disciple of Gurudevan & was also selected by the Guru as His successor. Swami Bodhananda was a person who fought against the social evil of untouchability & defilement. His devotion towards Gurudevan was such that he glided into Samadhi three days after Gurudevan’s passing terming it as a calling from the Guru himself. One can also find the Brahma Vidyalayam which was the elementary school started by Gurudevan & a Parnasala where the prayers, Vedic rituals & meditations are conducted. All the constructions one sees here are in the modern style with well mortared walls & roofs.

The Sivagiri Pilgrimage which a person now undertakes was only allowed by Gurudevan in 1928 after the consecration of the Shiva temple. As per Gurudevan any pilgrimage one conducts should fulfil certain goals in life & in accordance with the same he set out some rules for devotees while undertaking the pilgrimage to Sivagiri. All who participate need to wear Yellow clothes as it symbolises peace as per Lord Buddha, they should have completed a 10 day self purification ritual which covers one’s body, food, mind, word & deed also known as Pancha Dharma in Buddhism. The need of Yellow garments made people think of buying expensive silk for which Gurudevan said, the colour can just be from dyeing a white cloth in turmeric as the pilgrimage is to be conducted in simplicity & accompanied with chanting of hymns. The pilgrimage should be carried out without disturbing the peace of others. After the rules for the pilgrimage was set, a small group of 5 disciples of Gurudevan undertook the first pilgrimage from the village of Elavumthitta which is a small town in Pathanamthitta district walking along the route wearing bright yellow garments & chanting the beautiful poem Swaathanthrya Gadha written by Kumaranasan. Along the way they were called names like Manjakillikal (Yellow birds) but they ignored the name calling & continued their walk to Sivagiri. The first pilgrimage was a great success & till date has continued.

Gurudevan is said to have written the Jananinavratna Manjari in praise of Goddess Saraswati at the Mutt while the construction of the Sarada temple was happening. His thought for hygiene & cleanliness as advocated by him is still followed at the mutt. He was also against opulence at temples & so wanted devotees to only celebrate the festivals in simplicity without fireworks. Gurudevan’s way of thought can also be seen in the way he preached the importance of temples; they should not just be a place for devotees to attain spirituality but a place for overall betterment of life with access to sanitation, intellect & knowledge. It was only during the last years of his life that Gurudevan felt the need to stay in Sivagiri & create a place which teaches his way of Dharma. The Sivagiri Mutt is today considered the most sacred pilgrimage for all people who believe in equality irrespective of caste, creed, religion, language, strata. The Mutt has also been fortunate for the visit of Mahatma Gandhi thrice, once when Gurudevan was alive. Vinobha Bhave called Gurudevan ``Avathar” on his visit here. The great poet Rabindranath Tagore on his visit here said after meeting Gurudevan that he had never met any person spiritually greater than Sree Narayana Guru. The mutt today is a place for all to remember the divinity of Sree Narayana Guru whose intervention in the social fabric of Kerala cannot be forgotten & should never be. He was the reason why the downtrodden humans who were not even given reason for existence find themselves uplifted & have a reason to live. The Mutt certainly gives one reason to feel empowered so a visit here is a must for all.