A mere 3 kilometres away from the town of Varkala, in the beautiful Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala, is a quiet, peaceful sanctum called the ‘Sivagiri Mutt’ – an ode to one of the greatest saints and social reformers of the 19th century; Sree Narayana Gurudev.

The Sivagiri Mutt is sprawled upon a land of 200 acres of calm beauty, the very air ringing with the echoes of peace and prosperity. Here, upon a hillock, is the final resting place, that is, the samadhi, of the kind Sree Narayana Gurudev. This land also is host to the headquarters of the Sree Narayana Dharma Sanghom Trust, an organisation still dedicated to following as well as disseminating the teachings of Sree Narayana Gurudev and upholding his principles, as they continue to work towards the betterment and service of humanity. One of the Guru’s teachings that they follow religiously is that of ‘One Caste, One Religion, One God for Man’, and they continue to serve people under this motto.

History
In 1904, Sree Narayana Guru happened to find a quaint place surrounded by the beauty of Mother Nature called Varkala, and having seen the calm yet magnificent area, chose to build upon this place a hermitage. The Sivagiri Hill was granted for use by the then Travancore State Government to the Guru along with others who donated nearby plots of land for the cause. 

There was an elementary school built initially, followed by a night school to encourage learning for the uneducated workers and those who had little opportunity to pursue education before from the marginalised communities. Sree Narayana Guru also built a temple dedicated to the Goddess Saraswati, designed with a novel concept. He was earnest about maintaining the highest order of cleanliness and of pursuing the path of learning, and slowly, Sivagiri transformed itself.

The resulting Sivagiri of today is now spread over 200 acres of land, continuing to be a major destinations for religious worship and the centre for the various workings of the Sree Narayana Dharma Sanghom Trust. 

Significant Occasions
Each year, Sree Narayana Gurudev’s day of birth and day of Samadhi are observed with great regard by the devotees. Gurudeva Jayanthi, the day of his birth, is a day of much colour and celebration. 

There is also the Sivagiri pilgrimage dutifully performed every year without fail from the 30th of December to the 1st of January. Sree Narayana Gurudev had opined that the pilgrims wear yellow to mark the occasion and even then, to not buy new silks or cloth of the colour for it. Instead, a white cloth dyed with turmeric would do. Thus, pilgrims wear yellow, as per the Guru’s wishes without fail.

The Samadhi of Sree Narayana Gurudev
When individual and universal consciousness unite, the state is referred to as ‘Samadhi’. It loosens one from his or her body. Samadhi is often used by people to refer to tombs, but it is not synonymous with death. It is, in a manner of speaking, a state of higher being or consciousness. There are many Yogis and saints who have achieved this state and places with monuments indicative of this honour. Sree Narayana Gurudev’s Samadhi is believed to have been right here, at Sivagiri, and there is a tomb erected here in his memory.

There are many devotees and pilgrims who make their way here every year to offer their respects. Sree Narayana Guru’s day of Samadhi is observed with much relevance by ardent followers.

The Sivagiri Sarada Temple
The Sivagiri Sarada Temple is a temple built in honour of the Goddess of Knowledge, Goddess Saraswati. She is depicted as sitting on a white lotus flower in all her glory to signify knowledge blossoming from purity. This temple is also known as the ‘Sarada Mutt’.

This temple is unique in the manner that the design of the temple is akin to a more modern structure than the traditional method of constructing temples. It is a novel concept following an octagonal structure and many windows for ventilation, which is usually never seen in the traditional Hindu temples. Sree Narayana Guru was always adamant that hygiene and cleanliness be observed here in the highest manner. He was also a firm believer of how the schools of learning should be attached to the temple as well, so that the blessing of knowledge be imparted upon the curious souls yearning to learn.

Even the way by which the Goddess is worshipped in this temple is different, and various hymns are sung in her praise, including the ‘Janani-Navaratna Manjari’ (The nine gems in praise of The Mother), which was penned by Sree Narayana Gurudev himself. There are no tantric rituals here, as is tradition, and even the traditions of nivedyam (offering of food) and abhishekam (pouring ghee or oil on the idol of the deity) are not observed here – making it quite unique and rare in terms of temples in India.