Narayana Guru was born on the 26th of August, 1854, and his parents called him 'Nanu'. His parents, Matan Asan and Kutti Amma lived in a village called Chandachary not far from Thuruvnnanthapuram, the capital of Kerala State.Narayana Guru worked for a new social order based on the principles of equality and justice and gave the religious reform movements in Kerala a social content. He was born in a poor Ezhava family near Trivendrum, a great scholar of Sanskrit, Tamil and Malayalam and a writer of devotional songs. He worked throughout his life for the moral and social advancement of backward communities. He revolted against the severities of the caste system and succeeded in abolishing animal sacrifices in the name of religion.

Phule was propounding his radical attack on caste in Maharashtra, Sri Narayana Guru was developing a comparable but simultaneously religious critique that was widely influential even beyond his own Ezhava community in Travancore. Under his direction the Ezhavas utilised their growing wealth in the 1880s to the development of their own schools and temples. By 1891 there were already some 25,000 educated Ezhavas in Travancore.

Sri Narayana's Unitarian doctrine of 'One Caste, One Religion and One God for man' amounted to a repudiation of caste, and
he explicitly sought to include the Pulayas and other Untouchable castes in his movement.

Sri Narayana Guru, a genius in traditional Indian Philosophy was very much concerned about the caste disabilities of the Avarnas in general and the Ezhavas in particular. The caste ridden society crippled the Ezhava community socially and economically. The Government and caste Hindus compelled Ezhavas to do 'Uzhiyam' works. They extended their service in the construction of public tanks, roads, bridges etc., but ironically they were not permitted to use these public properties. Most of the Ezhavas were sub-tenants of the Nairs.

The disabilities imposed on them in the past included residential segregation, confinement to polluting and menial occupations and denial access to temples, wells and other civic amenities. As retaliation to this, Narayana Guru consecrated the idol of Siva at Aruvipuram in 1888. Sree Narayana Guru consecrated idols in a number of temples throughout Kerala. These temples were opened for all people without any caste distinction. Narayana Guru installed mirrors in the temples instead of idols to enlighten the people. As a social reformer he always insisted the need of having education.
To bring about industrial aptitude, among Ezhavas, he emphasised the need of 'vocational education'. His economic ideas had a lasting impact in the Ezhava community. Narayana Guru started constitutional agitation against the Travancore Government. The first agitation manifested in the form of the well known 'Ezhava Memorial' of 1896. It was a memorial signed by 13,176 members of the Ezhava community who were then denied the right to get admission in Government schools or appointment in Government service. The Ezhava memorial requested the Maharaja to confer on the Ezhavas the same rights and privileges which were being enjoyed by those castes who had converted to Christianity. But the Government denied the demand in the Memorial.

Sri Narayana Guru Dharma ParipalanaYogam (SNDP) Movement:

In 1903, Sri Narayana Guru founded 'Sri Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP Yogam)' for the social, economic, educational and cultural progress of the Ezhavas and other depressed classes. He also advocated inter-caste marriages as a means of breaking down the barriers of caste and evolving a casteless and classless society. Though belonged to lower caste, he installed the idol at Aravaipuram temple in 1880. He worked for a new social order based on the principles of equality and justice. For millions of people Narayana Guru became a saint, a scholar, Philosopher, poet and a social reformer.

In 1904, the Yogam announced that along with the second annual general meeting an
industrial and agricultural exhibition would be conducted. The exhibition was conducted on 7th and 8th January 1905. Number of industrialists from different parts of India attended the exhibition. SimilarlyYogam also conducted another exhibition in Kannur which got an all India attention of both Government and public. After these exhibitions, Kumaran Asan observed that people showed great interest in trade and industry. At the Sixth Annual general meeting of the SNDP Yogam, Narayana Guru suggested a new marriage system instead of ‘Thallikettu Kalyanam’. On account of untiring effort of the Yogam, many outdated social practices connected with marriage, puberty, pregnancy, birth, death etc. were abolished and all expensive social customs were given up.

Dr. Palpu, Congress leader took initiatives to organize a women's conference on a regular basis at every anniversary of the Yogam.The SNDP Yogam succeeded in attaining educational privileges for Ezhavas during the Dewanship of Sankara Subramanya Iyer. The Yogam opened a number of schools throughout Travancore. The SNDP movement received a new stir in Kochi under the leadership of K.Ayyappan. He is popularly known as Sahodaran Ayyappan. Another notable person who elevated the SNDP movement to highest stage of excellence was T.K.Madhavan. He unfurled the flag of anti-untouchability movement through the columns of the journal 'Desabhimani'. T.K.Madhavan was the leading figure of the Satyagraha.