Chattampiswamikal was born on 25th August, 1853 in Kannammoola, a village near Thiruvananthapuram. His parents named him Ayappan and affectionately called him Kunjan. He was known for his razor sharp intellect and academic excellence. Over the years, he came to be called as Chattampi and this remained with him for life. He was also called 'Shri Vidyadhiraja Swami Thiruvadikal' and 'Parama Bhattarasri Chattampi Swami Thiruadikal ’.
In his youth, Chattampiswamikal tried his hand at various professions which included manual labour, document writer, accountant and clerk. He traveled far and wide and did research on the Vedas and the history of Kerala. He mastered Astrology, Yoga, Medicine, Philosophy, Philology, Music and many other branches of knowledge, besides the Vedas, Upanishads and History. He was equally proficient in Sanskrit, Malayalam and Tamil. He believed that the knowledge enshrined in the religious texts should be made available to everyone and with this aim wrote ‘Vedadhikara Niroopanam' which is considered a versatile and monumental work on the Vedas. He has 15 books to his credit.
Chattampiswamikal led a very frugal and spiritual life. He never preached any particular religion and advocated the notion of society devoid of religion. His teachings reveal a startlingly modern worldview. He pioneered the path breaking concept that education was the greatest social equalizer and thereby heralded an unprecedented revolution in the social upliftment of the socially downtrodden.
He advocated the principles of ahimsa and vegetarianism. His book 'Jeevakarunya Niroopanam’ is a masterpiece on this subject. Another seminal concept that Chattampiswamikal propounded was that of the equality of all men and the formation of a casteless society which alone could reflect the true cultural heritage of India. He also advocated feminism and women’s emancipation at a time when it was unheard of.
Chattampiswamikal attained Maha Samadhi on 5th May, 1924 at Panmana Ashram located some 18 kms north of Quilon.
Department of Posts is happy to release a Commemorative Postage Stamp on Chattampiswamikal.
Source : Information Folder issued by Indian Posts & Telegraph Department, Government of India