Ayyathan Gopalan


Rao Sahib Dr. Ayyathan Gopalan, popularly known as "Darsarji", was an Indian physician, writer, philanthropist, and a social reformer from Kerala. He is the founder of the Sugunavardhini movement and a leader and propagandist of Brahmo Samaj in Kerala. He denounced idol worship and fought to end those social practices in Kerala that he thought were unethical. Among his followers were Brahmananda Swami Sivayogi, Vaghbatananda, and Brahmavadhi P. Kunhiraman. Gopalan titled P. Kunhiraman as "Brahmavadhi" and Sivayogi as "Brahmananda Swami".
He was awarded and honored by the British government with the highest civilian award and title, the "Rao Sahib", for his services. The formation of the Sugunavardhini movement and Brahmosamaj played a significant role in the Kerala reformation movement.

Biography

Gopalan was born into the Ayyathan family in Thalassery, Kerala, as the first son of Ayyathan Chandhan and Kallat Chiruthammal. His youngest sister,Dr. Ayyathan Janaki Ammal was the first female doctor in Kerala,which was an administrative district of Madras Presidency during British rule in India.
He was reluctant to follow any caste differences or customs since his school days. During his school days, he was passionate about combating orthodoxy and immorality. When he was a school student, Gopalan cut his own hair in a manner that contradicted the orthodox tradition of traditionally growing his own hair, a surprising act in the family and the community. As he is from an affluent, aristocratic community he was not allowed to mingle with lower castes. He attended a marriage function at his Mukkuva friend's house and ate the food there.He studied at Anjarakkandy Elementary school, Brennen School, Mission High School and later joined Madras Medical College on 19 September 1884. He read about the Raja Ram Mohan Roy's Brahmo Samaj.,Joined Brahmo Samaj and engaged in its social reform activities and became an active executive member of the General Committee of Calcutta Brahmo Samaj. He participated in the committee's annual conferences at various locations across India, along with Brahmo leaders such as Kesub Chandra Sen, Debendranath Tagore, Sivanath Sastri, Rabindranath Tagore, and R. G. Bhandarkar. In 1888, he obtained a medical degree with honors and entered into government service. He worked as a medic in several hospitals across South India and as a medical lecturer. He also served as a magistrate of Malabar District during the British rule.
Gopalan married Kallat Kausallyaammal on 30 December 1894. Ramakrishna Gobal Bhandhakar, a Brahmo leader and social reformer at that time, conducted the wedding at the Madras Brahmo Samaj. Several Brahmo leaders presided over the wedding. Kausallyaammal was a strong supporter of Gopalan and assisted his social reform activities.

Social reform activities

Establishment of Brahmosamaj branches in Kerala

Gopalan worked as a doctor, chief surgeon, and superintendent at several hospitals in South India,He returned to Kerala in 1896 and joined the Calicut Lunatic asylum as its first superintendent. Meanwhile, caste and racial discrimination, malicious practices, and social injustices were prevalent in Kerala, and atrocities against women and children were at their peak.
Gopalan extended his reform ideologies and propagated his reform activities by establishing the first branch of Brahmo Samaj on 17 January 1898 at Calicut. To conduct Samaj's meetings and prayers, a separate brahmomandir now Ayathan Gopalan Memorial Schoolwas opened to the public on 17 October 1900. The brahmomandir was inaugurated by Mana Vikraman Ettan Thampuran, the Zamorin King of Calicut.
The second branch of Brahmo Samaj was established at Alappuzha in 1924. A separate brahmomandir was also constructed in 1928 at Poonthoppu, Kommady, Alappuzha,as a donation from a landlord of Alleppey and a friend of Gopalan, Mangalath Cochoo Mani. His daughter,Dr.Mangalath Mandhakinibai,spearheaded the reform activities at Alappuzha Brahmosamaj and married Gopalan's third son, Devadath Ayathan. This was the first Brahmo wedding conducted at Alappuzha Brahmo Samaj, which popularised the custom of Misra Vivaham in southern Kerala.
Later on Brahmosamaj branches were also set up at Alathur, Telicherry, and at different parts of Kerala.

Sugunavardhini Movement

In the year 1900, Gopalan and Kausallyaammal initiated the Sugunavardhini Movement and extended his social reform activities. Through this movement, he worked to foster human values in children, attract children to his social activities, protect the rights of women, and provide free education to girls and marginalised sections of society, especially the Harijan communities in Kerala, that were poorly treated by the higher castes, He established the Lady Chandhawarkar Elementary School with the intention to educate girls and the underprivileged sections of society. After Kausallya Ammal died, her daughter-in-law Dr.Mangalath Mandhakini Bai Devadath took over to unite women and the lower sections of the community and help them assert their social rights. It was Dr.Mangalath Mandhakini Bai who first proposed the concept of "Women's Organisation" and worked to protect their rights.
In addition to supporting and educating women and the underprivileged, their movement led reforms to oppose idolatry; promote and conduct Misra Vivaham and Misra Bhojanam ; spread women's education; maintain gender equality; eradicate untouchability, caste and racial discrimination; and conduct mass prayers and communion debates. Gopalan also participated in the Thali Road strike.

Impact of Sugunavardhini and Brahmosamaj at Malabar

The hymns for prayers sung at Brahmo Samaj were composed by Gopalan and are compiled in his book Keerthanaratnamala. He conducted several inter-caste marriages at Brahmo Samaj and worked to promote non-idol worship. "Brahmodharma", better known as the Brahmosamaj Bible, was written in Bengali by Maharshi Debendranath Tagore and was translated by him into Malayalam. He promoted his reformist ideologies by conducting dramas, public awareness campaign, and writings.
Dr. Gopalan requested Sivayogi to write collections of hymns and songs for worship for Brahmo prayer meetings. Sivayogi accepted his request and wrote "Brahmasankeerthanam", which is a collection of hymns for prayers. Gopalan honored and titled him as "Brahmananda Swamikal" in recognition of his spiritual and literary knowledge, and also for extending their social services through Brahmosamaj.
The Sugunavardhini Movement and Brahmo Samaj were composed mostly of professionals and intellectuals, including Brahmananda Swamisivayogi, Vagbhatananda Guru, and Brahmavadi P. Kunhiraman, all with a more secular approach to reform.
On 4 June 1917, Gopalan was honored by the British Government with the highest civilian award and title, Rao Sahib, for his social and humanitarian services.
He was against all caste evils and lived as a true "Brahmo" till his death, He never worked or opposed any other reform movements or any caste movements, instead he worked as a free man to revive the society from all social evils.He never kept the name of the caste in which he was born and never spoke for their upliftment. He raised his children, grand children and all his followers to be a good human and not to live under a particular caste, creed or religion for this reason he kept their name as "brahmo" and not the name of a particular caste as nair, menon, thiyya etc. Even today, his children, grandchildren, family and followers remain casteless without caste names.
He died at the age of 87 on 2 May 1948.

Works

Gopalan translated the Bible of Brahmo Samaj, Brahmodharma, which was initially written in Bengali by Maharshi Debendranath Tagore, to Malayalam in 1910. He also wrote songs and keerthanams to be sung during Brahmo Samaj prayer meetings. He propagated his reform ideologies through drama, public awareness, and his writings. Saranjiniparinayam, Susheeladukham, and Plaguefarse were among his famous dramas performed throughout by PSV Natya sangam in Kerala for many years. His other literary contributions are listed below: