Goparaju Ramachandra Rao Biography 
Goparaju Ramachandra Rao was a social worker, freedom fighter and atheist from Odisha. He served as leader of the Atheist Centre for many years, the institution he co-founded with his wife Saraswathi Gora. It was world’s first Atheist centre. As a social worker and activist he campaigned against untouchability and the caste system, and wrote many books on atheism. Interestingly his son Lavanam and daughter-in-law Hemalatha Lavanam also worked for the same goal. The couple founded the social organization Samskar. Hemalatha Lavanam was the daughter of Telugu poet Gurram Joshua and Mirayamma, who also worked against caste prejudices and social issues.
Goparaju Ramachandra Rao was born on 15 November 1902 in Chhatrapur, Odisha. He belonged to an orthodox Telugu Brahmin family. After his marriage his wife supported him in every mission of social service. In the 1930s the couple campaigned for marriages of devadasis and widows, and they arranged many similar marriages too. After that they concentrated most towards the abolition untouchability and the caste system that was very much fierce in society then. Their fights against social injustice and evils attracted Mahatma Gandhi, who was then fully engaged with freedom struggle movement. He invited them his ashram in Sevagram in 1944, and the couple stayed there for two weeks. The couple also participated in freedom struggle movement.
He was fondly called Gora. Since young he didn’t believe in superstitions. He and his wife publicly viewed solar eclipses, when she was pregnant, against popular beliefs, and the duo also stayed in haunted houses. He preferred to stay in harijan colonies, and also arranged dinners on every full moon night, for all people irrespective of caste and religion. Gora also organized Beef and Pork Friendship party in Vijayawada on 15 August 1972. Gora was a Gandhian and believed in Sarvodaya. He supported party-less democracy.
Goparaju Ramachandra Rao married Saraswathi Gora in the 1930s and the couple had nine children. Their daughter Chennupati Vidya is a former MP from the Vijayawada Lok Sabha constituency. Their son Lavanam and daughter-in-law Hemalatha Lavanam are social activists. Their son Samaram is a physician, who authored several books on health awareness and sex education. Saraswathi Gora lived a long life of 93 years till 2006 and continued with the activities started by her husband. She also received numerous honours during her life time.
Published: October 08, 2018
Updated: October 08, 2018
