Vaikundaswamikal, who gave leadership to the move- menttoputan end to the disabilities of the Channar community in the Travancore region. It was he who provided the Channar sections with strong minds capable of fighting, by making them recognize their social position through making use of the educational opportunities inaugurated by the missionaries. The Channar women created history by staging a struggle for the right to wear upper clothes. The Channar Revolt for gaining this right, begun in 1822, came to a successful end in 1859. It was following this prolonged struggle that the Maharaja had to issue an order allowing Channar women to wear upper clothes.
