Sivagiri Temple

Sivagiri Temple is the pilgrimage center located Varkala in Thiruvananthapuram district in state of Kerala.Sree Narayana Guru great social reformer established the Sivagiri Temple, commonly known as the Sivagiri Mutt in Varkala located 46 km away from Trivandrum. The ‘Sivagiri Pilgrimage’ is conducted between 30 December to 1 January every year respectively. The temple was constructed in the year of 19th century.The temple is dedicated to all religious not for dedicated to single god. Sivagiri Temple or Sivagiri mutt is run and managed by the headquarters of the Sree Narayana Dharma Sangham Trust.The Sivagiri Mutt was built in 1904 and It is situated at the top of the Sivagiri hill near Varkala .Here the sage person
Sree Narayana Guru tomb was built after his dealth.He was breathed his last here in 1928.According to the India Traditional concept believed that goddess of sarswasti is the prime goddess of knowledge.

Deity: Lord of sharda

History about Sivagiri Temple

Sree Narayana Guru a sage person and social reformer was established the temple to propagate the philosophy concept ‘One Caste, One Religion, One God’. The temple was developed in 1904 year.At first an elementary school was established there. A night school was also founded for the illiterate people of an untouchable caste. Lots of people came to Sivagiri to have a darshan of Gurudevan. His followers are called the Ezhavas. He even installed idols in temples to prove that the authority to perform religious rites does not exclusively belong to the Hindus, specially the Brahmins. The Sharada temple and Sivagiri mutt at Varkala hill has now become a unique and renowned place of pilgrimage.

Festival and Architecture of Sivagiri Temple

Every year Sri Narayana Jayanthi ,birthday of the Guru and the Samadhi day are celebrated in the month of August and September respectively.On this special occasion colorful processions, seminars, public meetings, cultural shows, community feasts and special rituals are held in the temple. The Mahasamadhi of Sree Narayana Guru attracts a large number of devotees and tourists toward its. there are Seminars and discussions on various themes of modern life ranging from industrialization to women’s emancipation are held during the days of pilgrimage. The architecture style of the temple is simple and modern. There are many window and ventilation was devised.In temples there is spacious rooms where people can sit comfortably and take part in discourses. There must be schools attached to all temples. There should also be amenities attached to the temples to train children in various trades. The money that comes to the temples as donation must be spent in such a way that the poor people benefit from it. It is not desirable to make ponds near temples for the worshipers to take bath. It is not possible to keep the ponds always pure. Therefore bathrooms are to be constructed with an arrangement of small pipes so that the water will fall from above the head. Best Timing to Visit: 30december to1 January .

How to Reach

By Train:Varkala Railway station is the nearest railway station to reach the temple. 41 km North of Thiruvananthapuram by train.

By Airport: Thiruvananthapuram International Airport is nearest airport to reach the Sivagiri temple.

By Bus:Varkala Bus stand is located 2km from the Sivagiri.Varkala is 53 kilometers from Thiruvananthapuram and 37 kilometers from Kollam, there are regular buses to/from both cities, which stop at Temple Junction.