Temple

Sabarimala Temple

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Pilgrimage

One of the major pilgrim destinations of Kerala- The Lord Ayyappa Temple of Sabarimala- is renowned for its “Panchaloha Pathinettu thripadikal” or the 18 sacred steps that one pilgrim with “Irumudikkettu” has to ascend in order to reach the temple. With dense forest and hills surrounding, this hill shrine is located inside the Periyar Tiger Reserve in the Perinad Village of Pathanamthitta district. One will be mesmerized to see the statues of Lord Ayyappan’s trusted guards Karuppu Sami and Kadutha Sami located at the beginning of the sacred steps. And those who enter into the shrine through the northern gate will miss this opportunity to view these guards just because they don’t carry “Irumudikkettu”. Speaking of the attractions/ peculiarities of the location, The main temple is called Sannidhanam – it is built on a 40 feet high Plateau. Also, the idol of the deity is made up of Panchaloha- which is an alloy of five metals. There is a sanctum sanctorum with a roof made up of gold-plate and four golden finials at the top, two mandapams, and a balikalpura that boasts the altar.

This temple, where young women devotees are not allowed, is the main pilgrim destination for men, kids of age less than 10 years, and older women. This is only one sign of the strict rituals and practices followed in the temple. Other than this, a devotee is supposed to come to the temple barefooted from Pamba, 5km away from the temple, the end of the vehicle allowed area. This holy shrine opens for devotees only during “Mandalakaalam Season”, “Makaravilakku”(or “Makara Sankranti”), Maha Thirumal Sankranti which generally falls between October to November, during mid-January, and April 14 every year, respectively. Additionally, the temple will be open on the first five days of each Malayalam month, and other special days. The popularity of this temple is better understood when one looks at the metrics of millions of people visiting this shrine each year. Unlike many other temples, the pilgrimage to Sabarimala has a special tradition- that of offering prayers at a Muslim devotee of Lord Ayyappan- namely Vavar.

The deity of this temple- Ayyappan- is also known as Dharma Shasta/ shasthav, who is believed to be the son of Shiva and Mohini, and an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The Sabarimala tradition is a combination of Shaivism, Vaishnavism, and Śramaṇa traditions. The temple insists on some strict practices for devotees before entering Sabarimala. Prior to around 40 days, they are expected to abstain from non-vegetarian food, alcohol, and more. Along with that, they have to wear black or blue dresses and rudraksha beads around their necks. Sabarimala is accessible from towns like Ettumanoor, Kottayam, Changanassery, Thiruvalla, Chengnanoor, and Adoor. For one who is curious about the hidden or the not emphasized attractions of a place, Sabarimala has a collection of temples namely Nilakkal, Kalaketty, and Karimalai, which are the remains of the old, actual Sabarimala temple, each situated on separate hills.