Kent Ayyappa Temple Trust

The Kent Ayyappa Temple Trust was established in December 2018 as a non-profit, small charity, and unincorporated voluntary organisation.

Our principal aims are:

• To advance the Hindu religion in accordance with the Sabarimala tradition.
• To organise public worship, monthly poojas, and annual festivals for spiritual observance.
• To provide a welcoming space for prayer, religious education, and intercultural understanding.
• To promote Indian cultural and heritage activities that increase awareness and appreciation of Hindu traditions.

📍 Temple Address:

Kent Ayyappa Temple
1 Northgate, Rochester, Kent, ME1 1LS

(Located inside Friends Meeting House / Quaker Meeting House – first floor, no external signage)
(Previously operated from Medway Hindu Mandir, Gillingham.)

Our priests are volunteers from Kerala, India, and all types of Kerala-style poojas can be performed on request. Temple working hours and pooja timings might occasionally change if the priest is performing poojas outside the temple.

📞 Before Booking a Pooja

Devotees wishing to book any poojas listed on the website must contact the temple in advance to confirm:

• Priest availability
• Venue/hall arrangements (for certain poojas)

📞 Tel: 07838 170203 / 07985 245890
📧 Email: kentayyappatemple@gmail.com

⚠️ Please Note:

• Bookings made without prior confirmation may not be performed.
• Proceed with your booking only after receiving official confirmation from the temple management.

All pooja bookings are treated as donations to support:

• Daily operations of Kent Ayyappa Temple
• Public worship 7 days a week
• Future development of a permanent Kerala-style temple in the UK

Support our goal of purchasing a permanent temple building and constructing a traditional Kerala-style temple in the UK.

🕰️ Temple Opening Hours

📞 Please call 07838 170203 / 07985 245890 before visiting, as priests may occasionally be delayed or away performing external poojas outside the temple.

🗓️ Monthly and special festival poojas are usually held on Saturdays with extended hours.
Check the event posters on our website, Facebook, or Instagram for exact timings and details.

📜 Pooja Booking Guidelines & Devotee Consent

1️⃣ Booking & Confirmation

• Submitting the Pooja Booking / Event Registration Form indicates your agreement to the booking terms.
• Submission does not automatically confirm your booking.
• Your pooja is confirmed only after receiving an official message from the temple confirming acceptance.

2️⃣ Use of Personal Information

By submitting the form, you consent to Kent Ayyappa Temple:

• Collecting and storing your details for pooja booking and record purposes.
• Contacting you regarding your booking, temple events, charity initiatives, or surveys.

3️⃣ Cancellations & Refund Policy

• Once a pooja is booked and payment made, no refund will be issued.
• Devotees may cancel a booking up to 48 hours (two days) before the scheduled pooja.
• No cancellations are accepted within 48 hours of the pooja date (including on the day).
• Cancellations must be emailed to: kentayyappatemple@gmail.com

If the temple must cancel a pooja (e.g. priest unavailability or unavoidable circumstances):

• A full refund will be issued within two working days.

Refunds for booking errors or service issues may be considered upon management approval.

For any disputes or clarifications:
📞 Secretary – Kent Ayyappa Temple: 07838 170203 / 07985 245890
📧 Email: kentayyappatemple@gmail.com

4️⃣ Additional Booking Details

• For special poojas or offerings, please contact the temple directly.
• Provide the following details when booking:
  • Devotee’s Full Name
  • Birth Star (Nakshatram)
  • Contact Number & Email Address
• If the pooja is for someone else, please include the beneficiary’s name and birth star.
• For multiple poojas, submit separate entries for each.
• If the requested date is unavailable, coordinators will offer alternative dates.

5️⃣ Temple Policy & Safety

• Kent Ayyappa Temple Trust reserve the right to postpone, alter, or cancel any programme due to unforeseen circumstances.
• Parents/Carers are responsible for supervising their children at all times.
• All temple events may be filmed, photographed, or live-streamed on official temple social media and YouTube channels.

6️⃣ Prasadam Collection

• Prasadam must be collected on the same day of the pooja.
• Uncollected prasadam will be distributed to devotees present at the temple.

7️⃣ Right of Admission

The Kent Ayyappa Temple Trust reserves the right to:

• Refuse or cancel any booking or event entry.

Deny admission or remove individuals from the venue for non-compliance with temple guidelines (without refund).

🤝 Partnership with Kent Hindu Samajam

In partnership with Kent Hindu Samajam, a voluntary community organisation, we have conducted over 15 years of Hindu events in Medway and surrounding areas — all open to the public and carried out with full cooperation from local authorities.

📩 Contact Details

📍 Kent Ayyappa Temple
1 Northgate, Rochester, Kent, ME1 1LS

📞 Tel: 07838 170203 / 07985 245890
📧 Email: kentayyappatemple@gmail.com

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