Varkala Sivagiri Temple
Shivagiri is a pilgrimage centre where Sree Narayana Guru's tomb is located at Varkala, Thiruvananthapuram and place where the guru was enlightened and got the salvation. After travelling many locations in South India and Sri Lanka and establishing temples, he did the prathishta at Sivagiri on April 1912 of the goddess Sree Sarada. It ranks as the most amazing among his consecration of temple deities and occupies an important spot in history.
History of Varkala Sivagiri Temple
Sree Narayana Guru is a sage person & social reformer was built the temple to propagate the philosophy notion ‘One Caste, One belief, One God’. At first an elementary school was established there. A night school was furthermore founded for the illiterate persons of untouchable caste. Then huge number of people came to Sivagiri to have a darshan of Gurudevan.His followers are called the Ezhavas. Guru even established idols in temples to verify that the authority to present devout rites does not exclusively pertains to the Hindus, especially the Brahmins. The Sharada temple and Sivagiri mutt at Varkala has now become an exclusive and renowned place of pilgrimage.
Festivals in Varkala Sivagiri Temple
Every year Sri Narayana Jayanthi, the birthday of the Guru and the Samadhi day are commemorated in the month of August and September respectively. On this special season colorful parade, public meetings, seminars, heritage shows, special rituals and community feasts are held in the temple. The Mahasamadhi of Sree Narayana Guru attracts a large number of devotees and visitors in the direction of its. There are Seminars and considerations on diverse topics of modern life extending from industrialization to women’s emancipation are held during the days of pilgrimage.Architecture of Varkala Sivagiri Temple
The architecture style of the temple is modern and simple. There are many windows and ventilation was devised. In the temples there are spacious rooms where persons can sit snugly and take part in discourses. There should be schools adhered to all temples. There should furthermore be amenities adhered to the temples to train kids in diverse areas. The cash that arrives to the temples as donation should be spent in such a way that the poor persons benefit from it. It is not desirable to make ponds near temples for the worshipers to take a bath. It is not likely to keep the ponds always untainted. Thus bathrooms are to be created with a placement of small pipes so that the water will drop from above the head.Significance of Varkala Sivagiri Temple
Narayana Guru breathed his last here the 'Sivagiri Mutt' is an 'Ashram' founded by the immense Hindu reformer and philosopher, Sree Naravana Guru. Even decades after the Guru breathed his last here in 1928 AD, his 'Samadhi' continues to be thronged by thousands every year. During December and January is the best season to visit 'Sivagiri'.The Sivagiri Mutt is the headquarter of the 'Sree Narayana Dharma Sangham', a devout organization established by the Guru to propagate his notion of 'One Caste, One Religion, One God'. The Sarada Temple and Sivagiri Mutt set in the picturesque hills of Sivagiri beside Varkala have now become a place of pilgrimage with large devotees. Colorful processions, public meetings, arguments and seminars, cultural displays, community wedding, community feasts, rituals all assess the celebrations in Sivagiri hills.
How to Reach Varkala Sivagiri Temple
- By Rail: The nearest railway station is the Varkala Railway station to reach the temple and also 41 km North of Thiruvananthapuram by train.
- By Air: The nearest airport is the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport to reach the Sivagiri temple.
- By Bus: Sivagiri is 2 km from the Varkala Bus stand. Varkala is 37 kilometers from Kollam and 53 kilometers from Thiruvananthapuram, there are daily buses from both cities, which stop at Temple bus stop.