Centre to revive Narayana Guru spiritual circuit plan 

Centre to revive Narayana Guru spiritual circuit plan 

Part of: GS Prelims and Mains II and III – Govt schemes and initiatives; Tourism and Infrastructure

In news:

• Ministry of Tourism has considered the revival of the Sivagiri Sree Narayana Guru Ashram-Aruvipuram-Kunnumpara Sree Subrahmania-Chembazhanthi Sree Narayana Gurukulam spiritual circuit.

• Rs. 69.47-crore Sree Narayana Guru spiritual circuit would be retained under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme. 

Important Value Additions:

Swadesh Darshan Scheme

• It is a flagship scheme of Ministry of Tourism launched in 2014-15.
• It is for an integrated development of theme based tourist circuits in the country.
• The scheme would result in increased tourist inflow thereby creating employment opportunities for the local community.

The following thematic circuits have been identified, for development namely,

1. North-East India Circuit, Buddhist Circuit,
2. Himalayan Circuit, Coastal Circuit, Krishna Circuit,
3. Desert Circuit, Tirtankar circuit, Tribal Circuit,
4. Eco Circuit, Wildlife Circuit, Rural Circuit,
5. Spiritual Circuit, Sufi circuit, Ramayana Circuit and Heritage Circuit.

About Sree Narayana Guru

• He was a great saint, scholar, philosopher, poet and the forerunner of social renaissance in Kerala.
• He was born in 1856 in a peasant family of then untouchable Ezhava caste, in Thiruvananthapuram.
• He led a reform movement in Kerala, against the injustice in the caste-ridden society in order to promote social equality.
• He also gave the universal message, “One caste, one religion, one God.”

Aravipuram Movement – was launched by Sri Narayana Guru on Shivaratri day of 1888. On that day, Sri Narayana Guru defied the religious restrictions traditionally placed on the Ezhava community, and consecrated an idol of Shiva at Aravipuram. This drew the famous poet Kumaran Asan as a disciple of Narayana Guru.