Within the Ayyavazhi tradition, social questions such as caste and gender are not treated as secondary concerns but as central arenas in which dharma is to be realized. The movement, rooted in the teachings of Ayya Vaikundar, explicitly rejects the traditional caste system and understands caste hierarchy as a profound distortion of righteousness. Its scriptures affirm that all human beings share a common divine origin and are equal children of the divine, and so any form of caste-based discrimination is seen as spiritually invalid. In this way, Ayyavazhi presents unity and oneness not as abstract ideals, but as concrete correctives to the social fragmentation associated with the age of Kali.

This vision is embodied in its communal and ritual life. Worship centers such as the Nizhal Thangals and Pathis are designed as caste-free spaces, where people from all backgrounds gather, share in worship, and participate in communal life on equal terms. Historically, these spaces have been especially significant for those from oppressed communities, offering dignity, inclusion, and a sense of shared spiritual destiny. By organizing worship and social interaction without caste distinctions, Ayyavazhi enacts its teaching that dharma transcends inherited social boundaries and that unity is the proper form of religious life.

A similar logic shapes the tradition’s view of gender. Ayyavazhi recognizes women as spiritually equal to men, affirming that both are manifestations of the same ultimate reality and equally capable of spiritual realization. Women participate fully in worship, rituals, and community life, and may serve as religious teachers and leaders. The honoring of feminine divine principles alongside masculine ones further underscores that the feminine is not secondary or subordinate, but an essential expression of the divine presence. In this way, gender equality is woven into both doctrine and practice.

Taken together, these elements reveal Ayyavazhi as a path that weds devotion to social reform, treating the abolition of caste discrimination and the affirmation of gender equality as integral to living in harmony with dharma. Unity is not merely a theological claim but a social imperative: all are called to recognize the same divine consciousness in every being and to let that recognition reshape relationships, institutions, and everyday conduct.