Sri Ayyappa Swami Temple

Sri Ayyappa Swami Temple is a Hindu temple established in the tradition of Sabarimala Sri Ayyappa Swamy Temple in Kerala. We are a 501(c)3 not-for-profit religious organization, and an Ayyappa Seva Sangham of Greater Chicago business entity.

Our Key Objective

To establish and maintain a Sri Dharmasastha (Lord Ayyappa Swami) Hindu Temple in the Chicagoland area, and offer regular services in the tradition of Sabarimala Sri Ayyappa Swamy Temple in Kerala, India.

History In 2012, a small group of Ayyappa devotees came together to create the Ayyappa Seva Sangham with the aim of uniting various pockets of Ayyappa devotees spread across the State of Illinois, Northern Indiana, Southern Wisconsin, and Eastern Iowa. During the 2012-2013 Mandalam season, the group quickly grew from few members to a modest strength of 101 members, and counting. The Ayyappa Puja calendar for the 2012-2013 Mandalam season quickly filled up. The Ayyappa Seva Sangham successfully teamed up with the Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago (HTGC), Lemont IL, to celebrate major events at the Temple. Key events included the start and end of Mandalam season, Ayyappa puja and abhishekam on every second Saturday, and Makara Sankranti celebration. While a good number of old and new Ayyappa bhaktas hosted Ayyappa puja at their homes, few others chose the option to sponsor Ayyappa Puja at the Temple. In 2013, the group formally registered “Ayyappa Seva Sangham of Greater Chicago, Inc.” as a “Not for Profit” corporation with the State of Illinois. The organization received 501(c)(3) tax exemption status with the IRS in 2015. With the dedication, tireless efforts of the committed members and devotees of the organization, finally in 2017 the first ever Sri Ayyappa Temple in Chicago is being established near Naperville/Plainfield area. About Sabarimala Sabarimala is a pilgrimage centre in Kerala located in the Western Ghat mountain ranges of Kerala in Pathanamthitta District. Lord Ayyappan’s temple is situated here in the midst of 18 hills. The area is in the Sahyadri ranges of Kerala. The temple is situated on a hilltop at an altitude of 914m/3000 ft above mean sea level, and is surrounded by mountains and dense forests. Temples exists in each of the hills surrounding Sabarimala. While functional and intact temples exist at many places in the surrounding areas like Nilackal, Kalaketi, and Karimala, remnants of old temples survive to this day on remaining hills.