Sivagiri Mutt is a village in the Varkala municipality of Kerala’s Trivandrum District. It is a pilgrimage centre in Varkala Town, where Sree Narayana Guru grave or samadhi is present. Guru also built the Sarada Temple. The main deity in the Sarada temple is Sarada Devi, the goddess of Knowledge. Sivagiri temple timings are from 5 AM to 9 PM.
Thousands of devotees visit his tomb every year during the Sivagiri Pilgrimage days (Sivagiri Theerthadanam), from December 30 to January 1. Guru established this temple to promote his concept of “One Caste, One Religion, One God.” On this page, we will give more information about the Sivagiri temple. So, read the page thoroughly to know more.
Sivagiri Temple History:
Contents
Sree Narayana Guru was drawn to Varkala by the natural beauty and peaceful atmosphere and erected a hermitage on top of the Sivagiri hill in 1904, which later became a prominent pilgrimage destination.
The Travancore State Government granted the Guru Sivagiri Hill, and several locals offered him property. As a result, Sivagiri became the heart of all Sree Narayana movements.
Aside from the Guru, numerous social reformers assisted in establishing the Mutt in Sivagiri. Dr P. Palpu, a former socio-political activist, and Kumaran Asan, a well-known Malayalam poet, were among them.
They were devout Guru disciples who had different beliefs about transforming society and the Ezhava community. Guru always stressed the significance of education. So, he built an elementary school here.
Architecture of the Varkala Sivagiri Temple:
The Guru himself planned and designed the Sivagiri Sarada temple. The temple is octagonal. The Sarada temple in this location contains windows, which are unusual for a temple.
Sarada Mutt was the Guru’s name for the temple, which he planned to devote to Saraswathy, the Goddess of Knowledge. The goddess is seated on a white lotus, symbolizing the emerging purity of Knowledge.
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Sivagiri Temple Timings
Below are the Sivagiri temple timings.
Temple opens at 5 AM and closes at 12 PM, again opens at 4:30 PM and closes at 9 PM.
Major Festivals:
The Birthday of Sree Narayana Guru is in August. So, we can see people celebrating this day at the temple. People conduct colourful processions, debates, seminars, public meetings, and cultural shows on his birthday. The death day of Guru is in September. Hence, people will perform some other programs on that day.
The Sivagiri pilgrimage, which takes place from December 30 to January 1, is another prominent festival. Thousands of pilgrims dressed in yellow from all across Kerala will gather to the Guru’s Samadhi on these days.
How to Reach the Sivagiri temple?
By Air:
Thiruvananthapuram airport is the nearest airport to the temple.
By Rail:
The Varkala railway station is the nearest railway station to the temple. Thiruvananthapuram railway station is 41 km from the temple.
By Road:
The temple has good road facilities from all the nearby cities. So, you can easily reach the temple by road.
These are the different transport modes available to reach the Varkala Sivagiri temple. Hence, you can comfortably get to the temple.
Contact Details:
Address:
Sree Narayana Dharma Sanghom Trust Sivagiri mutt,Varkala,Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695141.
Email Id: sivagirimutt@gmail.com
Sivagiri Temple Contact Number: 9400066230
For the official website of the Sivagiri temple, click here.