Golden Temple, Sripuram - स्वर्ण मंदिर श्रीपुरम

The Sripuram Golden Temple also known as Sri Lakshmi Narayani Golden Temple is located at the foot of a small range of green hills in Thirumalaikodi, Vellore in Tamil Nadu, India, inside the Tiruppuram Spiritual Park. This temple dedicated to Mata Lakshmi is called Sripuram. The temple is situated on 100 acres of land and has been constructed by the Vellore-based charitable trust, Sree Narayani Peedam, headed by the spiritual leader Sree Sakthi Amma, also known as Narayani Amma. This is also known as the Golden Temple of South India, 15000 kg of gold is used to make it.

Architecture of Golden Temple Sripuram:
All parts of the main Sripuram temple are completely plated with gold. The main feature of 'Thirupuram' is the Lakshmi Narayani Temple, whose vimanam and ardha mandapam covered with pure gold, houses the deity Sri Lakshmi Narayani. It is estimated that more than 600 crore Indian rupees have been spent for the construction of the Golden Temple for Devi Mahalakshmi.

This gold-clad temple has intricate work done by artisans specializing in temple art using gold. Gold foil ranging from 9 layers to 10 layers has been applied to the etched copper plates. Every single detail in the temple art has significance from the Vedas.

The design of Sripuram consists of a star-shaped path (Sri Chakra), set in the middle of a lush green landscape, with a length of over 1.8 km. As one approaches the temple in the middle along this starpath, he can also read various spiritual messages - such as the gift of human birth, and the value of spirituality - along the way.

Rules and Rituals of Golden Temple Sripuram Darshan
❀ The normal darshan of the temple is from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm.
❀ Abhishekams take place from 4:00 am to 8:00 am.
❀ Aarti Seva takes place from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM.
❀ The temple remains open throughout the year. If one wants to avail the Divya Darshan service, he/she has to pay Rs.100. This service takes place during Sundays and Saturdays.

Devotees will have to follow the dress code for darshan at Golden Temple Sripuram. Women can enter the temple wearing saree or salwar and men wearing dhoti kurta. The entry of chewing gum, tobacco, mobile phones, cameras and other electronic items, alcohol and inflammable items is prohibited. No entry fee is charged to enter the temple or the park.

Accommodation facility at Golden Temple Sripuram
Various services have been arranged for the convenience of the devotees coming for Sripuram darshan. Such as dormitories, cloakrooms, rest rooms, restaurants, seating arrangements in waiting areas, drinking water facilities, adequate parking area, wheelchairs, help desk and PRO are available.

How To Reach Golden Temple Sripuram
The Golden Temple is 6 km from Vellore city center which can be reached via private taxi, cab or auto. There are many buses that run through the city. To reach Vellore, you can either take a bus or train from major cities. The nearest railway station is Katpadi Junction which is approximately 20.6 km from the temple. You can take a bus from here for cheap travel.