Sree Narayana Gurudevan Kumaran Asan

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Dr. Josh S Channar was born on 13 June 1958 at Pokkatt Channar Tharavad in Manakkad, Vallikunnam in Alappuzha district. Kerala. His parents are Late V. Sreedharan and Late K. Sarojini who were school teachers.

Dr. Josh's primary education was at Manakkad Aided LPS started in 1906 by Pokkatt Sekharan Channar. Secondary education was from Kadampanad HS and Higher education from Mar Ivanios College. Thiruvananthapuram, Govt Arts and Science College, Calicut, Dept of English & Dept of Mass Communication, Calicut University. He earned M.Phil. From Calicut University and Ph. D from Kerala University in English Literature.

Dr. Josh started as a journalist in the Mathrubhumi Daily, Kochi and later became Lecturer in English at SN College, Kannur. While working as Reader in SN College, Kollam, he joined Kannur University and retired as Professor of English, Head, and Dean of Faculty of Languages and Literature in 2018.

As Research supervisor of Kerala and Kannur Universities, Dr. Josh guided a dozen scholars to take their Ph.D. He had a short stint as Professor of English in Al Fatah University, Tripoli, Libya.

He travelled abroad extensively, presented papers and chaired seminars in national and international conferences including universities in UK, USA and Australia.

Sree Narayana Gurudevan is Kerala's contribution to S the world. Like Sree Buddha, Gurudevan assimilated the sorrows of fellow beings and submitted his life for alleviating their sufferings.

The great Guru attained divine wisdom after his prolonged wanderings. As a mystic poet, he revealed the nature of that wisdom in some of his poems. "Chithjadachintha" is a good example. He describes that mystic experience as watching millions of suns rise together.

After this attainment, before entering the stage of Karma in 1888, one whole night Gurudevan remained in a yogic posture in deep meditation. It was reported that tears streamed down incessantly from his eyes during that time. Those were the tears of sorrow that broke out while reflecting the sorrows of his fellow beings. (There was similar case in Buddha's life also).

When the great Gurudevan stepped into the social arena, he strived hard for liberating the people from all forms of social evils, superstitions and injustices. That's why his disciple Mahakavi Kumaran Asan noted that Guru's life was "the sacrifice for the welfare of others. Though Gurudevan's life was confined to his physical surroundings, his darsana embraced all mankind." Whatever be the faith, let man prosper","Humanity is religion" are Gurudevan's messages applicable for all periods of time.

S ree Narayana Gurudevan was born in Chempazhanthy, Kerala on 28 August 1855 in an age when the caste ridden Kerala society was remaining static and paralysed showing no signs of progress at the material or spiritual level especially for majority of the people who belonged to the lower strata of life endangered by all kinds of oppressions from the ruling class which was controlled by the Brahmanical codes and dictates as elsewhere in India. Already India was under colonial rule, by the British monarchy in the nineteenth century. But the British were not much concerned about the welfare and culture of the Indians at any level though their influence was gradually shaping the thoughts of Indians. By learning English and getting better education, the social conditions of the hegemonical and rigid Indian society became a serious subject of contemplation among the thinking Indians who emerged from the lower strata of life as British rulers never tried to discriminate the Indians on the basis of caste which was the criterion for social privileges in India, so long as such movements would not challenge their supremacy or interest.

Kerala was comprised of three provinces during that period. The Travancore where Gurudevan was born in the nineteenth century situated on the southern part of Kerala was a princely state with the royal family of Travancore in power since the 18th century. As per the agreement with the British rulers, an officer appointed by the British, titled Divan was the Chief Administrative Officer of the King.