Karunakara Guru
Encyclopedia
Nava Jyothi Sree Karunakara Guru (September 1, 1927 – August 14, 1999) was born in Chandiroor
, Alappuzha district
, Kerala. The humility, dignity and calm poise of this ascetic attracted to this young aspirant the devotees who came in large numbers to the institution of Sivagiri Madom of Sri Narayana Guru.Before long, in the year 1957, the Guru bid farewell to Sivagiri and shifted to Varkala
. Guru's new abode came to be known as Santhigiri. While at Sivagiri, people used to call the Guru as Karunakaran Santhi. The word Santhi stands for the one who performs pooja -worship
. The word giri stands for mountain
. Thus, the giri -mountain- where Karunakaran Santhi shifted, became Santhigiri, which now truly signifies ‘the mountain of peace,’ a place where tens of thousands of people have come seeking directions in their material, emotional and spiritual life so as to be led to the supreme aim of human life, which is the communion with the Supreme Light. This was the beginning of Santhigiri Ashram....
Chandiroor
Chandiroor is a village in Alappuzha district, Kerala, India. It is situated on National Highway 47 between Cherthala and Aroor.-Economy:Sea food processing is the main industry...
, Alappuzha district
Alappuzha district
Alappuzha is one of the 14 districts in the state of Kerala in India. It was formed as Alleppey District on August 17, 1957. The name of the district was officially changed to Alappuzha in 1990. The district is a widely known tourist destination, and is well known for its coir factories. Most of...
, Kerala. The humility, dignity and calm poise of this ascetic attracted to this young aspirant the devotees who came in large numbers to the institution of Sivagiri Madom of Sri Narayana Guru.Before long, in the year 1957, the Guru bid farewell to Sivagiri and shifted to Varkala
Varkala
Varkala is a coastal town and municipality in Thiruvananthapuram district situated in the Indian state of Kerala. It is located 50 kilometres north-west of Thiruvananthapuram and 37 km south-west of Kollam city.Varkala is the only place in southern Kerala where cliffs are found adjacent to...
. Guru's new abode came to be known as Santhigiri. While at Sivagiri, people used to call the Guru as Karunakaran Santhi. The word Santhi stands for the one who performs pooja -worship
Worship
Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity. The word is derived from the Old English worthscipe, meaning worthiness or worth-ship — to give, at its simplest, worth to something, for example, Christian worship.Evelyn Underhill defines worship thus: "The absolute...
. The word giri stands for mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
. Thus, the giri -mountain- where Karunakaran Santhi shifted, became Santhigiri, which now truly signifies ‘the mountain of peace,’ a place where tens of thousands of people have come seeking directions in their material, emotional and spiritual life so as to be led to the supreme aim of human life, which is the communion with the Supreme Light. This was the beginning of Santhigiri Ashram....