Our History

Ayyappa worship in the UK began in 1980, introduced by His Grace Gurusamy Late Kollam P. Sreedharan. The first Ayyappa Puja was held at the Lord Murugan Temple, Eastham, London — a modest but deeply significant beginning for the UK's Ayyappa community.

Under Gurusamy's guidance, daily bhajans and the Mandala Thiruvizha were established, beginning on Boxing Day each year with community support. Monthly pujas soon commenced at Kensington Primary School, bringing devotees together regularly for the first time.

Chief Priest Siva Sri Kailai R. Naganathasivam and the founding trustees helped formalise these early gatherings, leading to the formation of the Sree Ayyappa Seva Sangam — the organisation that would carry the community forward.

The Sree Ayyappa Seva Sangam experienced significant growth through the late 1980s and 1990s. A dedicated temple was established in East Acton with 18 divine steps — echoing the sacred Pathinettampadi of Sabarimala — and a panchaloha vigraha of Lord Ayyappa was installed.

This temple served the community for a period, but due to difficulties the deity was relocated to an ashram-temple in Harrow. Though brief, the East Acton temple was a formative chapter — the first time the community had its own sacred space with the 18 steps.

His Holiness Swamiji Krishnan Sreedharan — a sannyasi siddhar from Edava, Kerala — had long envisioned building a proper, permanent temple for Ayyappa devotees across the UK. In 2007, he flew from India and met with Trustee Late Vijayan, Kiri Swami, and P. Sreedharan Guruswami in a pivotal meeting.

At this meeting, Guruswami formally entrusted the Seva Sangam to Swamiji and requested that a permanent London temple be established. The search for a suitable property began immediately.

After visiting multiple locations that proved unsuitable, the group discovered the property at 36 Masons Avenue, Harrow. The building naturally featured 18 steps leading to the first floor — the exact number sacred to Lord Ayyappa. The community took this as an unmistakable divine sign.

On 14th September 2008, the London Sree Ayyappan Temple was formally consecrated with a grand Kumbhabhishekam ceremony. The temple was designed as a mini replica of Sabarimala, with Lord Ayyappa as the presiding deity, flanked by Ganapati, Shiva, and other deities consecrated at the same time.

On 22nd August 2010, two additional shrines were consecrated, deepening the temple's sacred character. The panchaloha Ganapati deity was replaced with a permanent granite deity, and Sri Venkateswara (a form of Lord Vishnu) was consecrated. Shortly after, utsava murtis in panchaloha were installed for Lord Ayyappa, Lord Anjaneya, and Dakshinamurti.

The temple has since been recognised by Harrow Council and described by devotees as "a Mahakshetra in all respects" — a full sacred complex serving thousands of Ayyappa devotees across the UK, Ireland, and Europe each year.