Name: Coimbatore
Rating: 3.7

Sree Ayyappan Temple, Coimbatore Overview

Located in the centre of the city of Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, India; the Sree Ayyappan Temple is a significant temple that is dedicated to Lord Sree Ayyappa. This temple in Coimbatore has been built on the same lines as of the original Sabarimala Temple in Kerala and thus is rightly honoured as the second Sabarimala Temple by devotees. In fact, not only the style of architecture but also the styles and methods of performing pooja at both the temples are similar. A visit to the Ayyappan Temple would thus make you feel as if you are in Kerala.

The Ayyappa Temple has been built following the traditional styles of architecture and is a pure delight for architecture lovers, history buffs as well as religious devotees. The temple attracts a huge number of devotees from all across the country all year round. These pious devotees visit the temple to seek the blessing of Lord Ayyappa, as well as use the temple as a mid-station for rest before they set out on their Sabarimala Pilgrimage.

What is the Temple known for?

The temple is well known for its purity and divinity, and also has shrines that are dedicated to other Gods such as Lord Shiva, Sri Murugan, Lord Vinayagar, Maha Vishnu and Durga Ji. The Dhwajasthambha of the temple is covered with gold, making the temple a one of its kind in Tamil Nadu. Festivals like Makaravilakku Day, Nagarajas Pooja, Ashtadhravya Ganapathy Homam and Navratri are also celebrated each year at the temple with great zeal and enthusiasm, making the temple truly a devotee's delight and one of the must-visit places while on your next trip to Coimbatore.

Festivals and Poojas at Sree Ayyappan Temple

Numerous monthly poojas, special poojas and festivals are celebrated at the Ayyappan temple by the tradition that has been established by the original Sabarimala Temple. Prominent festivals celebrated here include the Arattu festival that is celebrated with the tank water and the inaugural temple day which is celebrated as a festival on Rohini Nakshatra in March. Special pooja anustanas like Mel Shanthi and Keel Shanthi are also organised splendidly at the temple.

Other than these special poojas; the monthly poojas include Lord Hanuman Pooja on the first Thursday of every Malayalam month, Sree Chakra Pooja on the first Friday of every Malayalam month and Thrikala Pooja for Goddess Bhagavathi on the first Friday of Malayalam month.
Prathosham Pooja for Lord Shiva and Karthikak Pooja for Lord Murugan are also conducted twice a month.

Annual festivals like Makaravilakku Day, Lord Nagarajar Pooja, Prathishta Day, Ashtadhravya Ganapathy Homam, Navarathri Festival, Illam Nira Pooja, Mandalam Pooja, Akhandanama Bhajana and 41st Day Mandalavilakku are also celebrated with equal zeal and fervour at the Ayyappan Temple every year.

History of Ayyappan Temple

The Ayyappan Temple has a long and rich history attached to it which goes back all the way to the year 1942 when some devotees of Lord Ayyappa formed a small pooja group and started performing bhajans in dedication to the Lord in a little makeshift place. During the time of the traditional mandala pooja, they also began to perform the Ayyappan Vilakku Pooja before commencing the Sabarimala Yatra. With the passage of time, the number of devotees involved in the pooja group grew and finally in the year 1955, they decided to register themselves under the name of 'The Coimbatore Sree Ayyappa Seva Sangam'.

This endeavour to do something for the Lord did not stop here, and in 1958, a land was acquired at Siddhapudur to build a temple. Devotees installed a portrait of Lord Ayyappaswamy in the temple, while a noble industrialist, Sri Narasi Thulasidas, provided a shed to the temple. It was, however, only in 1966 that the construction of the temple began properly and in full swing, with Brahmashri Kanippaiyur Shankaran Nambudhiripad drawing a complete chart of the temple and specifying the dimensions, measurements and symmetrical structure of the temple. The same chart also prescribed the location, measures and dimensions of the place where the idols of the other gods, namely Lord Vinayagar, Goddess Durga Devi, Lord Sri Murugan and Lord Sri Maha Vishnu were to be installed.

At last, on 24 March in 1969, the first Kumbhabhishekam ceremony took place at the temple under the guidance of a team of priests led by Palakkattillathu Periya Neelakandan Nambudhiri. In 1972, a Kodi Maram or Dhwajasthambham was installed in the temple premises, which was later on covered with pure gold. The Ayyappan Temple is the only temple in Tamil Nadu to have such a Dhwajasthambham.

Later developments and improvements in the temple include the construction of a community hall, covering the tiled roof above the sanctum sanctorum in copper and the Kalashams with gold, and the completion of a Rajagopuram in black stones. The temple also operates a goshala and maintains a beautiful flower garden on the premises.

Sree Ayyappan Temple Aarti and Pooja Timings

The schedule for pooja that is followed at the Ayyappan Temple is as follows:
Nirmalya Darsanam- 5:00 AM
Uchapooja, Seeveli- 7:00 AM
Pantheeradipooja- 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Uchapooja, Seeveli- 10:30 AM
Temple Closes- 11:00 AM
Temple re-opens- 5:00 PM
Dheeparadhana- 6:15 PM - 6:40 PM
Athazhapooja, Seeveli- 8:15 PM
Harivarasanam- 9:00 PM

How To Reach Sree Ayyappan Temple

The Ayyappan Temple is located on the Chinnaswamy Naidu Road in New Sidhapudur. It is just 1 kilometre away from Coimbatore's central Gandhipuram and at a distance of 4 kilometres from the central railway station. Thus, the temple can easily be reached via buses or private vehicle from all parts of Coimbatore.