Sree Narayana Guru was a philosopher, spiritual leader and social reformer in India. He led a reform movement against the injustice in the caste-ridden society of Kerala in order to promote spiritual enlightenment and social equality.
Mahakavi Kumaran Asan was a poet of Malayalam literature, Indian social reformer and a philosopher. He is known to have initiated a revolution in Malayalam poetry during the first quarter of the 20th century, transforming it from the metaphysical to the lyrical and his poetry is characterised by its moral and spiritual content, poetic concentration and dramatic contextualisation. He is one of the triumvirate poets of Kerala and a disciple of Sree Narayana Guru. He was awarded the prefix "Mahakavi" in 1922 by the Madras university which means "great poet".
Karatt Govinda Menon, better known as Brahmananda Swami Sivayogi, was an Indian sanyasi from present-day Kerala who founded the Ananda Maha Sabha in 1918. He proposed Anandadarsam or Anandamadham.
C. Kesavan was a politician, social reformer, statesman and the Chief Minister of Travancore-Cochin during 1950–1952. He led the Nivarthana agitation in Travancore to gain the democratic authority for the citizens to decide on the legislation and to attain opportunities regardless of caste or social and economical status.
Kumbalathuparambu Ayyappan, better identified as Sahodaran Ayyappan, was a social reformer, thinker, rationalist, journalist, and politician from Kerala, India. A vocal follower of Sree Narayana Guru, he was associated with a number of events related to the Kerala reformation movement and was the organizer of Misra Bhojanam in Cherai in 1917. He founded Sahodara Sangam, and the journal Sahodaran and was the founder editor of the magazine Yukthivadi.
Vellithuruthi Thazhathu Karutha Patteri Raman Bhattathiripad (1896–1982), also known as V. T. Bhattathiripad, was an Indian social reformer, dramatist and an Indian independence activist. He was best known for his contributions in the reformation of the casteism and conservatism that existed in the Namboothiri community. He wrote a number of books which include a play, Adukkalayail Ninnu Arangathekku and his autobiography, Kanneerum Kinavum and many critics consider them as notable works in Malayalam literature. Kerala Sahitya Akademi honoured him with distinguished fellowship in 1976.
T. K. Madhavan was an Indian social reformer, journalist and revolutionary, who was involved with the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam. He hailed from Kerala and led the struggle against untouchability which was known as Vaikom Satyagraha.
Moorkoth Kumaran (1874–1941) was a social reformer, a teacher and a writer in Malayalam. He came from a Thiyya family of Telicherry. He was a disciple of Narayana Guru and wrote the first biography of Guru. He also published some of the earliest short stories and novels in Malayalam.
The Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (S.N.D.P) is a social service organization that has been representing the Ezhava community from the Indian state of Kerala since 1903. The S.N.D.P Yogam was founded by Dr.Padmanabhan Palpu and other Ezhava leaders with the blessing of Sree Narayana Guru. The organization aimed to lead the community to the religious reform movement and to achieve economic prosperity and educational opportunities. The organization has also been playing a significant role in the Kerala social and political movements since its formation.
Advaita Ashram - the ashrams in Aluva, founded in 1913 Sree Narayana Guru. Here he also established a Sanskrit school to restore the sanctity of the language through which universal spiritual teachings can be grasped and imparted to dedicated disciples.
C. V. Kunhiraman was an Indian social reformer, journalist and the founder of Kerala Kaumudi daily. A follower of Sree Narayana Guru, Kunhiraman was the author of a number of books covering the genres of novels, short story, poetry, biographies and essays. He was one of the leaders involved in the Vaikom Satyagraha of Reformation movement in Kerala which led to the Temple Entry Proclamation.
Vayaleri kunhikannan Gurukkal-(Vagbhatananda) was a Hindu religious leader and Social reformer in British India. He was the founder of the Atmavidya Sangham, which was fundamentally a group of professionals and intellectuals who sought change, and also the Uralungal Labour Contract Co-operative Society.
Events in the year 1903 in India.
Sanulla Makti Thangal was the renaissance leader of Muslim society in Malabar of British India and the advocate of western education among the backward community of Mappila. He was notable as the first Muslim scholar and first Salafi leader to know the significance of the progressed western culture and the necessity of the western education to realize the reformation of knowledge. He commenced his career as the excise inspector under British government in India and later resigned from the post to defend the Christian missionaries. He dreamt about new Muslim society who will imbibe the advantages of western culture without getting rid of the valuable Islamic culture.
The SAS SNDP Yogam College is the first college in Konni, Kerala, India. It was started by the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP), in 1995. Resolved to establish a college at Konni in Memorial obeisance to the great philosopher and social reformer, Sahodaran Ayyappan, an ardent disciple of Sree Narayana Guru to provide better, higher educational facilities mainly for the backward classes of the region.
The Reformation movement in Kerala refers to a socio-cultural movement that began towards the end of 19th century and led to large scale changes in the social outlook of the southern Indian state of Kerala.
The Kallingal Madathil Rarichan Moopan (1856–1919) was a Jenmi in Kozhikode. He was a social reformer of Malabar. He is known for community development and other social services.
