
The Sannidhanam (The
Temple) :
Sabarimala is a pilgrim centre in
Kerala in the Western Ghat mountain ranges of
India. Lord Ayyappan’s temple is situated here
in the midst of 18 hills. The area is in the
Sahya hilly regions of Kerala in Pathanamthitta
District. The temple is situated on a hilltop at
an altitude of 1260 m/4135 ft. above mean sea
level, and is surrounded by mountains and dense
forests. Temples existed in each of the hills
surrounding Sabarimala. While functional and
intact temples exist at many places in the
surrounding areas like Nilackal, Kalaketi, and
Karimala, remnants of old temples are visible in
the remaining hills. Sabarimala is believed to
be the place where Ayyappan meditated after
killing the powerful demon, Mahishi.Sabarimala
is one of the most visited piligrim centres in
the world with an estimated 4.5 - 5 crores
devotees coming every year. The world’s second
largest annual pilgrimage, after Haj in Mecca.
The pilgrimage to Sabarimala is a singular
example of one where pilgrims, wit hout
consideration of caste, creed, position or
social status, go with one mind and one ‘mantra’
dreaming constantly of the darshan of the
presiding deity at the Holy Sannidhanam.
Vehicles can go up to Pampa. Thereafter,
pilgrims have to follow a path approximately
four kilometers up a steep hill. The path, now
fully cemented, with shops and medical aid by
the sides, used to be a mere trail through dense
forest. There is a place near the temple (east
of Sannidhanam), dedicated to the Vavar, a
Muslim who was the disciple of Ayyappan, called
“Vavarunada”. The temple is open for worship
only during the days of Mandalapooja (Nov 15 to
Dec 26), Makaravilakku (Jan 15) and Vishu (Apr
14), and the beginning of every month in the
Malayalam calendar.
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Lord Ayyappan :
Ayyappan, a Hindu
deity. The worship of this deity is largely
confined to South India. Lord Ayyappan is
worshipped in a number of shrines across India:
at Kulathupuzha, in Kerala, he is worshipped as
a child; at Achenkovil in conjunction with his
consorts, Pushkala and Poorna; and at Sabarimala
as an ascetic - a celibate meditating in
solitude for the benefit of all mankind. The
name “Ayyappan” is used as a respectful form of
address in Malayalam, and the famous mantra
‘Swamiye Sharanam Ayyappa’ can be directly
translated as Give me shelter, Lord Ayyappa! The
most famous Ayyappa shrine in India is the one
at Sabarimala with over 50 million devotees
visiting it every year. |
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The Shrine of Lord Ganapati: To the south-west of the main
temple is the shrine of Lord Ganapati, known as
Kannimula Ganapati. The special offering to this
deity is Ganapati homan.
Bhasma Kulam : About a 100 metres
away is the shrine of Malikappurathamma. En
route to the shrine is the temple tank, Bhasma
Kulam, in which hundreds of devotees take a holy
bath in memory of the tapaswini Sabari who
entered a fire to end her mortal life. It is
after her that the peak is named Sabarimala. On
account of the number of people who bathe in the
tank, the water is frequently drained out and
refilled with fresh water.
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Neyyabhishekam (Irumudi)
: This significant ritual involves
pouring sacred ghee brought by pilgrims
in their Pallikattu (Irumudi) on the
idol of Lord Ayyappa. It symbolically
means the merging of Jeevatma with the
Paramatma. |
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Malikappurathamma
:
Situated on a small hillock, the
Malikappurathamma temple houses the shrines of
the Devi and Kaduthaswamy. Devotees also worship
a trident and lamp here, and offer coconuts. The
coconuts are not broken, however, but are just
rolled on the ground. To the left of this temple
are the shrines of the snake god and goddess,
Nagaraja and Nagayakshi. Here, tribals beat on
drums, play stringed instruments and sing sarppa
pattu to protect devotees and their progeny from
the harmful effects of snakebites.
Makara Jothi :
Makarajyoti is the celestial star which
is worshipped by the pilgrims. The main
worshipping rituals are performed at the day of
Makara Sankaranthi (every 14 January) day. It
draws the second largest number of pilgrims in
the country. The devotees believe that
witnessing the light brings them good luck and
divine blessings. The Makara Jyothi marks the
climax of the Makaravilakku season of Sabarimala
pilgrimage lasting 41 days.

Harivarasanam :
Harivarasanam is recited before closing the
temple door at night. Harivarasanam song, which
is sung today at Sabarimala as the Lullaby at
night (Urakkupattu) was composed by Sri
Kambakkudi Kulathur Srinivasa Iyer. It is said
that Srinivasa Iyer used to recite the
composition, after the Athazha Pooja, standing
in front of Lord Ayyappa at the main temple.
With the efforts of Swami Vimochanananda, it
came to be accepted as the lullaby by the
Thantri and Melsanti. The composition has 352
letters, 108 words in 32 lines (8 stanzas).
Homakunda :

There used to be a large homakunda in front
of the shrine, which burned constantly, fed by
the coconut shells thrown by the devotees, after
offering the ghee. As the coconut shells gets
consumed by the fire, the sins of the devotees
are believed to be cleansed. Due to the growing
crowds in the temple, the homakunda has now been
shifted to a location below the temple.
Shrines of Kaduthaswamy and Karuppaswamy:
At the
foot of the Patinettampadi are the two shrines
of Kaduthaswamy and Karuppaswamy, who stand like
dwarapalakas or guardians of the holy steps, to
ensure that they are not polluted by those who
tread on them without fulfilling the rigid
austerities required of them. They are also
believed to protect the devotees from the evil
spirits of the forests. According to legend,
Kadutha was a great warrior who helped the
Pandalam king defeat the armies of Udayanan and
other enemies. When the king came to Sabarimalai
to reconstruct the temple, Kadutha came with him
to protect him. Ultimately, he became so
attached to Ayyappa that he decided to spend the
rest of his days with his Lord. Also near the
Patinettampadi is the shrine of the Muslim
Vavurswami. While there are several accounts of
identity of Vavur, it is generally believed that
he was a warrior who was defeated and subdued by
Ayyappa, and later became a close associate.
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Pathanamthitta :
It is a town
situated in the very heart of the Central
Travancore region of Kerala State, India. It is
the administrative capital of The Pathanamthitta
District. The town has a population of 38,000.
It is known as the ‘Pilgrim Capital of Kerala’.
Pathanamthitta is a fast-developing town and
business center. It is the main transport hub to
the famous Hindu pilgrim center of Sabarimala.
The main trunk road to Sabarimala is from
Pathanamthitta. The Main Eastern Highway (Punalur-Pathanamthitta-Muvattupuzha
Road/SH-08) and T.K.Road (Thiruvalla-Pathanamthitta-Kumbazha
Road/SH-07) pass through Pathanamthitta.
Pathanamthitta is a cosmopolitan town, with
people of different faiths like Hindus,
Christians, and Muslims live in harmony.
Pathanamthitta District has a communal break up
of Hindus 55.58%, Christians 40.35%, Muslims
4.03%. |
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Nilackal Mahadevar Temple :
This is an important Temple enroute to
Sabarimala and located between Plappally and
Pampa. This is an intermediate halting area
(with parking facilities).
Erumeli Sastha Temple :
Erumeli Sastha Temple, an important meeting
place in the pilgrimage trip to Sabarimala is
famous on many counts. There is also a Muslim
Temple very near to the Sastha Temple. Ayyappans
go to Sabarimala after worshipping at these two
temples, that symbolise the Hindu-Muslim unity.
The pilgrims go to Sabarimala after
‘Pettathullal’ at Erumeli. Pilgrimage to
Sabarimala without Pettathullal and worship at
the above mentioned temples is against the
traditional dogmas. Erumeli Temple is at a
distance of 38 Kms from Kottayam. Nearest
Railway station is Kottayam.

Pandalam Valiyakoyickal Temple :
According to legend Ayyaappa as a babe
was found lying on the banks of the river Pampa,
by the Raja of Pandalam. The Raja had no issue
and the child was considered as a God-given
gift. It was therefore brought up in court with
all regal honours. Ayyappan grew up endowed with
heavenly splendour, super human wisdom and
physical powers. Sree Dharmaa Sastha of Pandalam
Valiyakoyickal Temple is Dharma Deva to King to
Pandalam. One of the Major events associated
with the Makaravilakku Festival is the
procession of the Thiruvabharanam of Lord
Ayyappa from this Temple. The nearest town and
railway station is Chengannoor-12 Kms away.
Kulathupuzha Sastha Temple :
The Sastha Temple at Kulathupuzha is a
very ancient one. The idol at Kulathupuzha is
called ‘Manikantan’. It is believed that the
Temple was constructed by the Raja of Pandalam.
But the idol was discovered by a Brahmin from
Kottarakkara after several years and he started
pooja there. The King of Kottarakkara heard
about this and he constructed the present
temple. Feeding the fishes in the nearby river
is an important vazhipadu in the Temple.

Achankoil Sastha Temple :
Achankoil Sastha (Arachan) temple is a sacred
place of worship where pilgrims from Kerala and
Tamilnadu come in groups through out the year.
According to a legend the God gave ‘Darshan’ to
a worshipper who had undertaken long term
penance at Kandamala, where the the present
temple stands. The main festival season here
comes during the Mandalam puja. The nearest town
and railway station is Shenkottah-Tamil Nadu.
Arayankavu Sastha Temple :
The legend behind the Ayyappa of
Aryankavu is similar to that of Sabarimala Sree
Dharma Sastha. The only difference between the
two is that Sastha was brough up by the Pandi
Raja of Madura and not the Raja of Pandalam. The
temple is constructed about 35 feet below the
road level. It is at a distance of 2 kms from
the majestic Pallaruvi waterfalls located in the
deep dense forests. It is believed that Ayyappa
had relationship with Sourashtrans while living
in the palace of Raja of Madura. Even now
Sourashtrans reach here in groups during the
time of Mandalapooja. The temple rests 86 Kms
away from Thiruvananthapuram.
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Makara Vilakku festival:
After the jothi, that night
Malikappurathuamma, mounted on an elephant comes
in a procession to the Patinettampadi (18 steps)
and returns back to her abode. This is the
beginning of the Makara Vilakku festival. This
festival lasts for seven days. Many pilgrims
stay back till this festival is over and Kuruthi
pooja (offering of water mixed with chunnambu
and turmeric powder to the forest deities) is
performed. Even some who leave Sabarimala after
witnessing the Jothi observe fasting till the
Makara Villaku and Kuruthi pooja is complete at
Sabarimala.
Other festivals :
Onam, Mandalapooja, Pankuni Uthram (Lord
Birthday) and Vishu are the other festivals
celebrated at Sabarimala with pomp and glory.
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