51.Chaitanya Swamikal

Disciple of Sree Narayana gurudevan

Chaitanya Swamikal

Chaithanya Swami was born in Varkala in 1877 as Narayana Pillai. He did not have any formal education, but learned to read and write Malayalam. He had some knowledge about the art of building, constructing and sculpture. It was Chattambi Swamikal who sent him to Sree Narayana Guru.

When Guru saw Narayana Pillai for the first time, Guru said: “Caste and religion are not an obstacle for human relationship, moreover we have the same name. It is good! Others will get confused, so a name change is necessary; from now onwards you are ‘Narayana Chaitanyan'.Later he became a Sanyasin and accepted ‘Chaitanya' as his ascetic name. He faced a lot of opposition from his family members for associating with Sree Narayana Guru. He was the second person to ordain as a Sanyasin by the Guru. He had a superb administrative capacity and a high talent to adapt with others. He was instructed by Guru to look after Guru's institutions.

Chaitanya Swami supervised the construction of Thalaserry Jagannatha Temple , Kozhikkode Sree Khanadeswara Temple , Kannur Sundreswara Temple and many other monasteries. He was one of the three witnesses who signed in the application to form Sree Narayana Dharma Sangham. N. Kumaru and P. Narayana Pillai were the other witnesses. He served as the secretary of Alwaye Adwaita Ashram and as the administrator of the Sanskrit school there.

Guru's famous composition ‘Atma Bodham' was copied down by him and kept safely. ‘Atma Bodham' was later renamed as ‘Atmopadesa Satakam'. Chaithanya Swami established Sree Narayana Ashram at West Hill in Kozhikkode. He continued his humanitarian activities and spread the gospel of Sree Narayana Guru till his Samadhi in 1953. He has written a book dealing with Guru's views on reformation of marriage, post – death rites etc.