Swamithope Ayya Vaikuntar Temple is situated at
Swamithope, a small village located about 15 km from
Nagercoil in
Kanyakumari District of
Tamil Nadu.
The temple, founded by Ayya Vaikuntar - regarded as an incarnation of
Lord Vishnu - has no idol, but one can see a saffron cloth wrapped on a wooden jyoti or sacred flame with a mirror on the back. During the worship, people can see their own images along with the sacred flame.
In the temple premises there is a well, believed to have been dug by Ayya Vaikuntar. Here devotees take bath before entering the temple. The temple is open from 6:00 to 20:00 hrs. Inside the temple, men are not allowed to wear clothes above the waist, but need to cover the head with a cloth or towel. Fruits, flowers and coconuts are offered by the devotees.
The main festival celebrated in this temple is the birthday of Ayya Vaikuntar, which falls on the Tamil month of Maasi (March-April) 20. Large number devotees throng to this place on every Sunday for noon worship.
Nagarcoil Junction Railway Station and
Trivandrum International Airport are the nearest access points. Buses are available, (route numbers 34, 2, 1-D), from Nagercoil to Swamithope.
