Ezhava Siva

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Ezhava Siva refers to a moment in Kerala’s history linked to Sree Narayana Guru, a social reformer who worked to remove caste barriers. The term came from his quick answer to Brahmins who questioned whether a non-Brahmin could consecrate a temple. In 1888, at Aruvippuram, Guru made a bold act: he consecrated a stone as a temple idol, placing it in a place of worship he opened to people of all castes. He used a stone he found near the Neyyar river for the idol and declared that what he had installed was an “Ezhava Siva,” asking whether the universal power belongs to any one caste.

Guru believed God is limitless and benevolent to all, beyond caste. He expressed these ideas in Daivadasakam, a Malayalam prayer poem for the masses. After the Aruvippuram act, he established more temples at Aluva, Vypin, Cherai and Moothakunnam, further challenging caste restrictions on worship.

His actions are seen as a turning point that helped later movements for temple entry by lower castes, including the Vaikom Satyagraha. Narayana Guru belonged to the Ezhava community, which has been regarded as a backward caste. The 125th anniversary of the Aruvippuram installation was celebrated in 2013.