Sivagiri is an area in Varkala Municipality of Thiruvananthapuram district in Kerala. It is a pilgrimage centre of Varkala Town where the tomb, or samadhi, of Sree Narayana Guru is situated. It is a place where Guru built the Sarada Temple dedicated to Sarada Devi. The tomb is an attraction for thousands of devotees every year, especially during the Sivagiri Pilgrimage days (Sivagiri Theerthadanam) from 30 December to 1 January.

The Sivagiri Matha, built in 1904, is atop the Sivagiri hill in Varkala Town. This is also the headquarters of the Sree Narayana Dharma Sangham, an organisation of his disciples and saints, established by the Guru to propagate his concept of "One Caste, One Religion, One God". The Guru Deva Jayanti, the birthday of the Guru, and the samadhi day are celebrated in August and September respectively every year. Colourful processions, debates and seminars, public meetings, cultural shows, community feasts, group wedding and rituals mark the celebrations.

Gurudevan's association with Sivagiri in Varkala in south Kerala dates back to 1904. A lover of nature and places of natural beauty, Narayana Guru built a hermitage on top of the Sivagiri hill and stayed there, growing plants around it, and the once-solitary hill began to attract public attention.

At first, an elementary school was established there. A night school was also founded for the illiterate people from the marginalised communities. Many people came to Sivagiri to have a darshan of Gurudevan.

After travelling to many places in South India and Sri Lanka and establishing temples, he did the prathishta of the spiritual figure Sree Sarada at Sivagiri in April 1912. It is the most remarkable one among his consecration of temple deities. The foundation for it was laid in 1909. The same year he composed the poem "Janani Navaratna Manjari".

According to the Indian concept, the goddess Saraswati is the primary goddess of knowledge. Gurudevan called this temple, which is octagonal in shape, Sarada Mutt. Unlike in other temples, naivedyam (offering of food to the deity) or abhishekam (pouring oil, ghee and such on the idol) is not practiced in the temple. Devotees worship the goddess by reciting hymns. The idol of Saraswati seated on white lotus symbolizes knowledge blossoming on whiteness or purity.

Padmanabhan Palpu served as the president, and Kumaran Asan as secretary, for the Sarada Consecration Committee.

In connection with Prathishta of goddess Sarada, grand conferences and festivals were conducted for four consecutive days. Sree Narayana Guru introduced original and novel perceptions about temples, departing from traditional ideas on the subject. He shunned tantric rituals. There is no similar temple in India. Here, he established an architecture that was simple and different. For the first time in India, a temple with windows and ventilation was devised. The Guru installed a deity which was traditionally symbolic and aesthetically perfect. The highest standards of hygiene were introduced to maintain the place as a model to other temples and temple worshipers. The opening of this temple was uniquely marked by the inspirational ceremony of guest of hymns in praise of the mother Sarada. The Guru himself wrote janani-navaratna Manjari, nine Gems in praise of the mother. It is not necessary to build temples in the old style by spending a lot of money he ordained. Further, he also advised not to spend money on festivals and fireworks.