SNDP was founded in 1903 by
Padmanabhan Palpu with the guidance and blessings of Narayana Guru. SNDP was the first organization to envisage
Kerala as a whole. Vavoottu Yogam expanded and formed an organization known as Aruvippuram Kshetra Yogam. The Aruvippuram Temple Society, known as Vavoottu Yogam emerged in 1888. During the 1890s, there was an oppressive caste system in Kerala. Palpu started working towards ensuring the rights of the then identified backward communities. With the 1891 Malayali Memorial Revolt, he took the leadership of the then oppressed community named
Ezhava, and attempted to begin an organization called Ezhava Sabha. In 1896, he created the organization's by-laws and published the law in Malayali, a newspaper published from Thankussery. He organized a few meetings at Paravur and
Mayyanad, before the movement failed. On 7 January 1903, a special meeting of Aruvippuram Kshetra Yogam was conducted. They decided to enlarge the organization to support the progress of all backward communities religiously and materially. Thus, on 15 May 1903, with Narayana Guru as its president, Aruvippuram Kshetra Yogam was registered as Aruvippuram Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam according to the Indian Companies Act, No. 6, 1882. The Sree Bhavaneeswara temple, dedicated to
Shiva, was consecrated by Guru on 8 March 1916 (24
Kumbham 1091
M.E.). After the ceremony, he laid the foundation stone for the Lower Primary School under the SNDP. == List of presidents ==