Arivu Thirukovil

Arivu Thirukovil, also known as the Temple of Consciousness, is a meditation temple located at Aliyar near Pollachi in Coimbatore District, Tamil Nadu, at the foothills of the Western Ghats beside Aliyar Dam and Reservoir. Established by spiritual teacher Vethathiri Maharishi for the World Community Service Centre, it is the headquarters for Simplified Kundalini Yoga (SKY). Notable for its large dome-shaped meditation hall, serene mountain and reservoir setting, it attracts visitors for meditation, spiritual learning and tranquil nature views.

Visitors can expect a large white dome-shaped meditation hall set in a quiet, landscaped campus at the foothills of the Western Ghats overlooking Aliyar Reservoir. The interior is a spacious, silent meditation hall with tiered seating arranged for collective meditation. Surroundings include gardens, pathways, views of forested hills and the reservoir, and exhibition areas related to Vethathiri Maharishi's teachings on consciousness and Simplified Kundalini Yoga. The atmosphere is calm and contemplative, focused on silence and introspection.

Arivu Thirukovil was conceived and established by Vethathiri Maharishi (1911-2006), founder of the World Community Service Centre and the Simplified Kundalini Yoga system. Developed as a universal Temple of Consciousness at Aliyar, it was inaugurated in the early 1990s to serve as a centre for meditation, spiritual education and research on consciousness, and continues as the headquarters of the movement.

The temple is a significant spiritual and cultural centre for followers of Simplified Kundalini Yoga and Vethathiri Maharishi's philosophy of world peace through individual peace. It promotes practices of introspection, meditation and self-realization and is regarded as a universal temple open to all, emphasizing consciousness, harmony and holistic well-being rather than sectarian worship.