'Narayana Guru provided a new awakening through his

: Union Minister of State for External and Parliamentary Affairs V Muraleedharan on Friday said spiritual leader and social reformer Sree Narayana Guru through his philosophy integrated spirituality and materialism and was able to provide a new awakening to the world.

Through the integration of spiritual and materialistic ideals, the guru, who led the reform movement in Kerala against the injustice in the caste-ridden society, was able to usher in a new awakening, Muraleedharan said inaugurating the 165th birth anniversary celebrations of the Guru at Sivagiri mutt here.

The influence of ideas of the Guru can be seen in the values being followed by Kerala in social, cultural and religious fields, he said.

His teachings contain the essence of humanity.

Narayana Guru, who proved that humanitarian ideas can be propagated through worship, also exhorted people to attain independence through knowledge and gain strength through organisation, he said.

Pointing that none other can give a greater liberation call than this, Muraleedharan said while the Guru demolished walls of discrimination in society, attempts are being made now to build walls in the name of renaissance.

He also said renaissance cannot be artificially created.

The Minister also pointed out President Ram Nath Kovind in his policy address of the Narendra Modi government had quoted Sree Narayana Guru's words whose relevance was ever increasing in the present era.

Muraleedharan also inaugurated the newly built auditorium of the higher secondary school under Sivagiri Mutt.

Sree Narayanaa Dharma Sangham (SNDP) President Swami Vishudhananda and Adoor Prakash, MP, were among those who attended the function.

Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, Ramesh Chennithala, addressed a function at nearby Chempazhanthy, the village where the Guru was born to an Ezhava peasant.