21 September 2024
Kerala Regional holiday | Saturday |
Sree Narayana Guru Samadhi is a regional public holiday in Kerala, India observed on September 20th each year. The state holiday marks the death anniversary of a notable Keralite social reformer who died on this day in 1928.
It is celebrated on Chathayam day during the Onam season in Chingam month of Malayalam calendar. It marks the birthday of Narayana Guru, a saint and a social reformer of India who fought against the caste system of Hindu religion. As a state festival, the day is a public holiday for schools and offices, including banks, in Kerala. Gurus birthday is celebrated on the Chathayam asterism of the Malayalam month of Chingam (Leo). In a society broken into fragments by casteism and economic inequality, he emphasised the motto of one caste, one religion and one god. Communal harmony processions, conferences, floral tributes, community prayers, feeding for the poor and community feasts mark Jayanthi celebrations.
The great Guru attained Samadhi on September 20, 1928. Thus the ceremony is organized to remind the world that spiritually he lives forever in the minds of millions of his followers across the globe, though physically Guru disappeared. Its celebrated on the 5th day of Malayalam month Kanni. Sree Narayana Guru lies in a state of samadhi at Sivagiri, Kerala. Thousands of pilgrims visit here each year, to pay homage to the man who drastically changed the face of social life in Kerala and is a source of inspiration for all social reformers.