Abraham Thomas Kovoor (April 10, 1898 - September 18, 1978) was a Keralite Indian professor and Rationalist who gained prominence after retirement for his campaign to expose as frauds various Indian "god-men" and so-called paranormal phenomena. His direct, trenchant criticism of spiritual frauds and organized religions were enthusiastically received by audiences, initiating a new dynamism in the Rationalist movement, especially in India. April 10 is the 100th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (101st in leap years). ... 1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... September 18 is the 261st day of the year (262nd in leap years). ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... Kerala (or Keralam, കേരളം) is a state in South India. ... This article is not about continental rationalism. ... Both mortal and deity, God-man exists outside of the realm of time and space. ...

Born at Thiruvalla in Kerala, Kovoor was the son of Rev. Kovoor Eipe Thomma Katthanar, Vicar General of the Mar Thomma Syrian Church of Malabar. He was educated at Bengabasi College, Calcutta. After working briefly as a junior professor in Kerala, he spent the rest of his life in Sri Lanka, teaching botany in several colleges before retiring in 1959 as a professor at Thurston College, Colombo. After retirement Kovoor devoted his life to the rationalist movement. He spent most of his time building up the Ceylon Rationalist Association, and was elected in 1960 as its president, a title he retained until his death. He edited an annual journal, The Ceylon Rationalist Ambassador. In 1961 he traveled in Europe and established contact with the World Union of Freethinkers. Under the pseudonym Narcissus, he wrote newspaper and magazine articles about his encounters with the paranormal. These articles were translated and published in India, initially in Malayalam by Joseph Edamaruku (Kovoor’s pseudonym ‘Narcissus’ was no longer used), and later in other Indian languages. Thiruvalla (previously spelled Tiruvalla) is a city and Taluk located in Pathanamthitta district in the State of Kerala in India. ... Kerala ((?); Malayalam: കേരളം, — ) is a state on the tropical Malabar Coast of southwestern India. ... This article is on Calcutta/Kolkata, the city. ... Pinguicula grandiflora Botany is the scientific study of plantlife. ... 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Colombo (කොළඹ in Sinhala; கொழும்பு in Tamil) is the largest city and commercial hub of Sri Lanka, located on the southwest coast adjacent to the present capital city of Kotte. ... Malayalam (മലയാളം) is the major language of the state of Kerala, in southern India. ... Joseph Edamaruku on the cover page of his popular book Kristhuvum Krishnanum Jeevichirunnilla Joseph Edamaruku (popularly identified by his surname Edamaruku) is a well known journalist and a militant rationalist from Kerala. ...

Kovoor traveled in India several times during 1960s and 1970s, addressing hundreds of meetings. His brilliant oratory, enlivened with a scientific approach and critical thinking, worked like magic in Indian villages and towns. During four Miracle Exposure lecture tours in India, all organized by the Indian Rationalist Association, Kovoor challenged and exposed ‘miracles’ performed by godmen. During his last journey to India in 1976 Kovoor visited Sai Baba's ashram and challenged him to face a test. The baba refused. 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1976 calendar). ... This article is about the original, turn of the century Shirdi Sai Baba from Bombay state (now Maharashtra). ...

A controversy arose when Kovoor was awarded an honorary doctorate by the obscure (and now defunct) Minnesota Institute of Philosophy, calling itself the theological seminary of a "Church of Materialism." Kovoor had never visited the US. A strong critic of fake diplomas and doctorates used by charlatans, he later returned the honorary doctorate. ...

Abraham Thomas Kovoor died on September 18, 1978. "I am not afraid of death and life after death", he wrote in his will. "To set an example, I don't want a burial." He donated his eyes to an eye bank and his corpse to a medical college for anatomical study, with instructions that his skeleton eventually be given to the science laboratory of Thurston College. All of these wishes were honored. September 18 is the 261st day of the year (262nd in leap years). ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ...

Exposing the famous guru Sathya Sai Baba

One of the main targets during his miracle exposure campaign was Sathya Sai Baba of Puttaparthi in Andhra Pradesh state, India. Sathya Sai Baba is perhaps the most prominent god-man in India today, and was during Kovoor's time. Sai Baba claims to this day to materialize vibuthi or holy ash. Kovoor believed that the Baba performed this through sleight of hand. Many Indians throng to the ashrams of holy men who claim to perform such miracles. To expose Sai Baba and others, Prof. Kovoor would produce holy ash seemingly from nowhere and distributed it amongst the audience. He would then demonstrate to his audience the sleight of hand, explaining that after some practice, anybody could perform the feat . Swami Sai Baba 1972 Sathya Sai Baba (born Sathya Narayana Raju on November 23, 1926 -or later than 1927 [1]- with the family name of Ratnakaram [2]) is a controversial South Indian Guru often described as a Godman [3] and a miracle worker [4]. According to the Sathya Sai Organisation... Puttaparthi is the birth place and abode of Bhagwan Sathya Sai Baba. ... Andhra Pradesh : (Telugu: ఆంధ్ర ప్రదేశ్, Hindi: आंध्र प्रदेश; Āndhra Prādesh), is a state in South India but is also debated as Central India as well. ... A materialization is the creation or appearance of matter from nowhere and out of nothing. ... Vibhuti is the name for sacred ash used in religious worship in Hinduism, especially connected with Lord Shiva. ... Sleight-of-hand, also known as legerdemain, is a technique of close-up magic in which small items are concealed in and around the performers hands, sometimes by the use of misdirection, to enhance the illusion being performed. ... Ashrams in ancient India were Hindu hermitages where sages lived in peace and tranquility amidst nature. ...

Kovoor wrote repeatedly to Sai Baba, requesting a meeting to discuss the baba's miraculous powers. Upon receiving no response, Kovoor communicated his intention to come to one of Sathya Sai Baba's ashrams, at Whitefield near Bangalore. When Kovoor arrived, Sathya Sai Baba had gone to his other ashram at Puttaparthi. Whitefield is the name of a several towns: In India: Whitefield, India In the United Kingdom: Whitefield, England In the United States: Whitefield, Maine Whitefield, New Hampshire Whitefield, Oklahoma Whitefield is the name of persons George Whitefield 1714-1770 One of the worlds most illustrious Methodist evangelists This is a... The Vidhana Soudha is the seat of Karnatakas Legislative assembly Bangalore (Kannada: ; (?) in Kannada and // in English) is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. ... Puttaparthi is the birth place and abode of Bhagwan Sathya Sai Baba. ...

He was an efficient hypnotherapist and applied psychologist .The famous Malayalam movie "Punarjanmam" and Tamil movie "Maru piravi" was made on basis of his case dairy.

His publications and challenge

After his numerous encounters with god-men, astrologers, and other people who claimed to have psychic powers, he came to the conclusion that there was no objective truth behind such claims. He wrote, "Nobody has and nobody ever had supernatural powers. They exist only in the pages of scriptures and sensation-mongering newspapers." His books Begone Godmen and Gods, Demons and Spirits, about his encounters with people claiming psychic powers, are still best-sellers in India. In the year 1963, Abraham Kovoor declared an award of Rs. ...

In 1963, Prof. Kovoor announced an award of Rs. 100,000 for anyone who could demonstrate supernatural or miraculous powers under foolproof and fraud-proof conditions. The challenge listed 23 miracles or feats that godmen (and some western mystics and performers such as Uri Geller and Jeane Dixon) were claimed to perform, such as reading the serial numbers from currency in sealed envelopes, materializing objects, predicting future events, converting liquids from one kind to another, and walking on water. Some sought publicity by taking on his challenge, but forfeited the initial deposit amount. Uri Geller Uri Geller (born December 20, 1946 in Tel Aviv, Israel) is a famous but controversial television personality and alleged psychic. ... Jeane Dixon (January 5, 1904 - January 26, 1997) was one of the best-known American astrologers and psychics of the 20th century, due to her syndicated newspaper astrology column, some well-publicized predictions and a best-selling biography. ...

After his death in India, the Indian Rationalist Association continues his Rs.100,000 challenge. Similar challenges have been posed by Basava Premanand and James Randi. Basava Premanand swallowing fire(Courtesy http://www. ... James Randi (born Randall James Hamilton Zwinge, August 7, 1928 in Toronto, Canada), more often known as The Amazing Randi, is a stage magician, a skeptic, best known as a debunker of pseudoscience. ...

Books by and on Prof. Kovoor

In English

1. Begone Godmen - Jaico Publishing House, Mumbai, India.
2. Gods, Demons and Spirits - Jaico Publishing House, Mumbai, India.
3. Selected Works of A T Kovoor- Indian Atheist Publishers, New Delhi, India.
4. Exposing Paranormal Claims - Indian CSICOP, Podannur, Tamil Nadu, India

The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Indian CSICOP is a well-known rationalist group based at Podannur, Tamil Nadu, India. ... Tamil Nadu (தமிழ் நாடு, Land of the Tamils) is a state at the southern tip of India. ...

In Malayalam

1. Kovoorinte Sampoorna Kruthikal (Complete Works of Kovoor) - Translated by Joseph Edamaruku. Indian Atheist Publishers, New Delhi, India.
2. Kovoorinte Thiranjetutha Kruthikal (Selected Works of Kovoor) - Translated by Joseph Edamaruku. Prabhat Book House, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India.
3. Samsarikkunna Kuthira (The Talking Horse) - Translated by Joseph Edamaruku. Current Books, Thrissur, Kerala, India.
4. Yukthivadam(Rationalism) - Translated by Joseph Edamaruku. Current Books, Thrissur, Kerala, India.
5. Anamarutha - Translated by Joseph Edamaruku. D C Books, Kottayam, Kerala, India.
6. Indriyatheetha Jnanavum Parapsychologiyum - Translated by Joseph Edamaruku. Indian Atheist Publishers, New Delhi, India.
7. Yukthichintha(Rational Thought) - Translated by Johnson Eyeroor. Current Books, Kottayam, Kerala, India. http://www.puzha.com/malayalam/bookstore/cgi-bin/book-detail.cgi?code=157

Malayalam (മലയാളം) is the major language of the state of Kerala, in southern India. ... Joseph Edamaruku on the cover page of his popular book Kristhuvum Krishnanum Jeevichirunnilla Joseph Edamaruku (popularly identified by his surname Edamaruku) is a well known journalist and a militant rationalist from Kerala. ... Joseph Edamaruku on the cover page of his popular book Kristhuvum Krishnanum Jeevichirunnilla Joseph Edamaruku (popularly identified by his surname Edamaruku) is a well known journalist and a militant rationalist from Kerala. ... Joseph Edamaruku on the cover page of his popular book Kristhuvum Krishnanum Jeevichirunnilla Joseph Edamaruku (popularly identified by his surname Edamaruku) is a well known journalist and a militant rationalist from Kerala. ... Joseph Edamaruku on the cover page of his popular book Kristhuvum Krishnanum Jeevichirunnilla Joseph Edamaruku (popularly identified by his surname Edamaruku) is a well known journalist and a militant rationalist from Kerala. ... Joseph Edamaruku on the cover page of his popular book Kristhuvum Krishnanum Jeevichirunnilla Joseph Edamaruku (popularly identified by his surname Edamaruku) is a well known journalist and a militant rationalist from Kerala. ... Joseph Edamaruku on the cover page of his popular book Kristhuvum Krishnanum Jeevichirunnilla Joseph Edamaruku (popularly identified by his surname Edamaruku) is a well known journalist and a militant rationalist from Kerala. ...

In Hindi

1. Te Dev Purush Har Gaye - Tarakbharti Parkashan, Barnala, Punjab, India.
2. Dev, Daint Te Ruhan - Tarakbharti Parkashan

Hindi (हिन्दी hind), an Indo-European language spoken mainly in North, Central, and West India, is the official language of the Indian Union. ...

In Punjabi

1. Tey Dev Pursh Har Gaye - Tarakbharti Parkashan, Barnala, Punjab
2. Pret Atma Puner Janam Te Kasran - Tarakbharti Parkashan
3. Kramatan Da Pardan Phash - Tarakbharti Parkashan
4. Dev, Daint te Ruhan - Tarakbharti Parkashan

Punjabi (also Panjabi; in Gurmukhī, Panjābī in Shāhmukhī) is the language of the Punjab regions of India and Pakistan. ...

External links

• The Rationalist of the Indian Subcontinent
• Dr. Bhagavantham and Sai Baba
• Challenge of James Randi