May Guru's message spread far and wide

The Sivagiri Pilgrimage is a great spiritual pilgrimage that carries the vision and messages of the great social reformer Sree Narayana Guru from the closing days of one year into the beginning of the new year. The waves of this sacred pilgrimage are filled with the compassion and kindness of Guru. The 93rd Sivagiri Pilgrimage will be inaugurated this morning by Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan. This year’s pilgrimage programmes focus on the relevance of Guru’s philosophy in the present-day development journey. In October, President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the centenary celebrations of Guru’s mahasamadhi. Now, the Vice President is inaugurating the pilgrimage, highlighting the growing importance of Sivagiri.

This also reflects the influence of Sree Narayana Guru’s thoughts on India’s development and global ideas of peace. Kerala Governor RV Arlekar, former Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, SNDP Yogam General Secretary Vellapally Natesan, and several other prominent leaders are participating in the pilgrimage conferences. For Guru, all human beings were spiritual brothers. He wished not only for the well-being of humans, but for all living beings. He believed that even an ant should not be harmed. Through knowledge, he challenged a social system that oppressed and punished people in the name of caste and social evils like untouchability.

Guru drove away forces that spread darkness by following a path based on knowledge and non-violence. His way of speaking to society was gentle and simple, but his philosophical works were deep and profound. While many revolutions in India were marked by bloodshed, the installation of the Shiva idol at Aruvippuram, taken from the Neyyar river, was a unique revolution without a single drop of blood being shed. Guru’s struggles were aimed at building a kingdom of human love. He broke outdated practices and promoted the message of “one caste, one religion, one God for mankind” through his consecrations.

He taught the world that revolution also means social renewal and re-creation. His final consecration of a mirror reminded people to discover and recognise the divine within themselves. All those who transform the world through knowledge are our teachers. The light they spread illuminates the world. Sree Narayana Guru stands as a great source of wisdom that India gifted to the last millennium. With each passing pilgrimage, the relevance of Guru’s vision and messages continues to grow. At a time when the world is facing conflicts and unrest, best wishes are extended to the Sivagiri Pilgrimage, which rises above divisions of caste and religion.