A Revolutionary Transformation in Kerala’s Hindu Community

September 30, 2026 admin

Introductory Memo: The article reports that the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) in Kerala has announced several initiatives aimed at promoting social reform and strengthening the Hindu community, including encouraging inter-caste marriages without compulsory horoscope matching or extravagant wedding expenses, expanding access to temple rituals regardless of caste, and allowing devotees to enter temples wearing shirts. It presents these measures as part of Kerala’s longer history of Hindu social reform, referring to the Vaikom Satyagraha, the 1936 Temple Entry Proclamation, and the 1987 Paliyam Proclamation. The article also highlights declining birth rates among Kerala’s Hindu and Christian communities and contrasts them with higher birth rates among Muslims, citing 2024 vital-statistics figures. Additionally, the VHP plans to establish gyms or Bala Upasana Kendras for its youth wings, Bajrang Dal and Durga Vahini, while expressing concerns about population decline, inter-caste marriage barriers, and alleged exploitation and radicalization associated with some exercise centres.

Analytical view/ Analysis: Muslim population is growing 10 times than Hindus in Kerala.Their birth rate outnumbered Hindus.It is an alarming situation.Xians asked to have three children in a family.Hindu initiative to have marriage of all the Hindu youths.

In Kerala, which Swami Vivekananda criticized by calling it a madhouse, a new transformation in the Hindu renaissance is being initiated. The state committee of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad has decided to take the lead in promoting Hindu marriages without caste, horoscope, and extravagance. Vishwa Hindu Parishad state president K C Narendran and general secretary Anil Vilayil said that the decisions were taken at the state leadership meeting held at the Ernakulam Hindu Cultural Centre.

During Swami Vivekananda’s visit to Kerala, he witnessed the severe caste discrimination here and returned after describing Kerala as a madhouse. Since then, many new shoots of transformation have emerged. In 1924, Mahatma Gandhi himself came to participate in the Satyagraha conducted to allow lower-caste people to use the public road near the Vaikom temple. Sree Narayana Gurudevan, Chattampi Swami, Mahatma Ayyankali, Mannath Padmanabhan and others were in favour of opening the road to everyone. The Temple Entry Proclamation of 1936, which allowed temples to be opened for worship to people of all castes in Kerala, brought about a major transformation. Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma Maharaja issued this proclamation in Travancore. The Paliyam Proclamation, which declared that people of all castes had the authority and right to perform puja and tantra, was the greatest milestone in Hindu unification. It was in 1987 that the Paliyam Proclamation was brought forward under the initiative of P Madhavan and P Parameswaran, who were RSS pracharaks. The Paliyam Proclamation, jointly declared by prominent tantric acharyas of Kerala, stated that the right to perform puja and tantra in temples was not determined by birth but by one’s actions, and that people of all castes had the right to do so; it was the greatest indication of Hindu renaissance and unity. As a practical symbol of this, the Tantravidyapeetham, started under the leadership of the Kerala Temple Protection Committee, teaches puja and tantra to all Hindus irrespective of caste. The new decision of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad comes as a continuation of this.

There have been situations in the Hindu community where the marriages of young men and women have been disrupted because of horoscopes, caste, and the heavy cost of weddings. They said that this decision was taken in a situation where this is also having a significant impact on the Hindu population. The meeting also assessed that the marriages of young people are being delayed considerably because of such crises. There are around 500 castes in Kerala’s Hindu community. In small caste and sub-caste groups, it is becoming difficult to find partners from within their own community. In particular, caste and horoscope become obstacles to this. To resolve this, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad has decided to prepare a common system for inter-caste marriages among the various castes within Hinduism. State office-bearers said that the Parishad would also provide opportunities and assistance to those who wish to marry without consulting horoscopes. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad is not an organization opposed to astrology. Therefore, those who wish to consult horoscopes may continue to do so. They clarified that this move is being undertaken as a solution to an issue that is greatly affecting population growth.

In population studies, Hindus and Christians in Kerala are falling far behind while the Muslim community is increasing substantially. Among the children admitted to first grade in Kerala in the last academic year, the majority were from the Islamic faith. The 2024 Vital Statistics report says that 46.14 percent of the children born in Kerala in 2024 belonged to the Muslim community. Of the 3,44,766 children born in Kerala in 2024, 39.49 % were Hindus, 46.14 % were Muslims, and 14.06 % were Christians. The report also says that in the Hindu and Christian communities, more deaths than births are occurring.

With more deaths being recorded than births, the natural growth rate in the Hindu and Christian communities has become negative. In terms of deaths, 59.66 % were Hindus, 20.15 % were Christians, and 19.92 % were Muslims. The report says that Kerala’s overall natural growth rate continues to remain positive because of the Muslim population, which records more births than deaths. The highest birth rate was recorded in Malappuram district (15.16), and the lowest rate in Alappuzha district (5.28).

Births in the Hindu community, which were 1,85,411 in 2020, declined to 1,36,163 in 2024. In the Muslim community, there were 1,96,138 births in 2020, while in 2024 the figure was 1,59,088. In the Christian community, the number of births declined from 62,265 in 2020 to 48,476 in 2024. Meanwhile, deaths, which were 1,46,424 in 2020, rose to 1,87,079 in 2024. In the Muslim community, 50,337 people died in 2020, while the figure was 62,471 in 2024. In the Christian community, 48,815 people died in 2020, while deaths rose to 63,172 in 2024.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad also said that permission would be given to visit temples wearing shirts in order to attract more young people and others to temples. This demand had also been raised at the Sanyasi Sangamam held in Thrissur three years ago. As a first step in the modern era, entering temples wearing upper garments will be implemented in 200 temples owned by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. This had already been implemented at the Pavakkulam Mahadeva Temple in Ernakulam and the Thirunakkara Sreekrishna Swami Temple. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad has decided to take the initiative to obtain permission for darshan while wearing upper garments in Devaswom Board temples and private temples as well. The state leadership has been entrusted with holding discussions with the Tantri Samaj for this purpose and submitting petitions to the Devaswom Boards.

The meeting also decided to start gyms across the state for workers of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s youth wings, Bajrang Dal and Durga Vahini. These will be known as Bala Upasana Kendras. There are indications that this decision has been taken against the backdrop of gyms being turned into bases for exploiting Hindu women and such exercise centres and gyms becoming centres of love jihad. The meeting also expressed concern over the decline in Kerala’s Hindu population. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad is also considering the national interest, given that anti-national extremist organizations are strong in all places where the Hindu population has declined.

Reference

https://www.ecostat.kerala.gov.in/publication-detail/annual-vital-statistics-report-2024.

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