Sabarimala Sree Ayyappa Temple

Sabarimala Sri Ayyappa Temple, dedicated to Lord Ayyappa, is the most famous and prominent among all the Sastha temples in Kerala. The temple is situated on a hilltop about 4000 feet above sea level named Sabarimala, which is unique in many respects. The uniqueness gathers its voice, as the temple is open to all, irrespective of caste, creed or religion. There is a place near the temple; east to Sannidhanam, dedicated to the Vavar (a sufi and friend of Lord Ayyappa) which is called ‘Vavarunada’, an epitome of religious harmony.  The temple remains open only for 127 days a year. The journey to the temple is to be taken through difficult paths in the forest as the vehicles can go only up to Pampa. The dawn of the Vrichikam month occupies a special place in the spiritual pilgrimage calendar. For it is on this day that millions start their trek to reach the shrine of Lord Ayyappa reverberating chants ‘Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa’, meaning ‘Lord Ayyappa – the only refuge’. Located in the deep, dense forest on the virgin hill of Sabari, in the Ranni-Perunad village of Pathanamthitta district of Kerala, in South India, Sabarimala epitomises the supreme virtue of unity sans religion, caste, or creed. Lord Ayyappan who belonged to the Vellalar Kulam, the army chief of the Pandalam royal family. Ayyan was instrumental in the defeat of Udayanan, who attacked Sabarimala and tried to demolish the ancient Sastha temple in the thick forest of present Pathanamthitta district. Meanwhile the Royal family of King Pandya had migrated from Tamilnadu about 800 years back. The King reconstructed the destroyed Sastha temple at Sabarimala. After the demise of Ayyappan, people thought that he was the incarnation of Lord Sastha and began to worship him. Later Ayyappan and Sastha became synonymous. In Elavarsevampattu, it is clearly mentioned that Ayyan belonged to Vellalar kulam, Near Erumeli, Kottayam, Kerala. There still exists a vellala house called Puthenveedu in Erumely. Even today one can see the ancient sword used by Ayyappan to kill the monstrous power. The place where the “eruma” was killed became Erumakolly and later Erumeli. The customs of the pilgrims to Sabarimala Ayyappa temple are based on five worshipping methods. At first, there were three sections of devotees – the devotees of Shakti who used meat to worship their deity, the devotees of Vishnu who followed strict penance and continence, and the devotees of Shiva who partly followed these two methods. Another name of Ayyappa is Sastha. All these can be seen merged into the beliefs of pilgrims to Sabarimala. Lord Sri Rama and his brother Lakshmana met Sabari, a tribal devotee, at Sabarimala. Sabari offered the Lord fruits after tasting them. But the Lord accepted them gladly and whole-heartedly. The Lord then turned and saw a divine person doing tapas. He asked Sabari who it was. Sabari said it was Shasta. Rama walked towards Shasta and the latter stood up and welcomed the Prince of Ayodhya. The anniversary of this incident is celebrated on Makara Vilakku day. It is believed that on Makara Vilakku day, Lord Dharma shasta stops his tapas to bless his devotees.and also it is called makara shankranthi [Note: there are many places with similar story of Sabari, no authentication of either exist.] The most important event at the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple is the Makara Jyothi (usually on January 14th). Thiruvabharanam or the sacred jewels of the Lord (presented by the Pandalam king) arrives at Sabarimala in three boxes. On the arrival of the jewel boxes the whole mountain reverberates to the chanting of ‘Saranam Ayyappa’ by millions of devotees gathered there to watch the event SPECIAL RITUALS Harivarasanam is recited before closing the temple door every night. The Harivarasanam song, which is sung at Sabarimala is a Urakkupattu is composed by Sri Kambangudi Kulathur Srinivasa Iyer. It is said that Srinivasa Iyer used to recite the composition, after the Athazha Pooja, standing in front of the shrine of Ayyappa in the main temple. This significant ritual involves pouring sacred ghee brought by pilgrims in their Pallikettu or Irumudi on the idol of Lord Ayyappa. It symbolically means the merging of Jeevatma and Paramatma. While a Red coloured Irumudi is used by a pilgrim on his first journey(Kanni Ayyappan) to Sabarimala, others use Navy Blue till third year and thereafter saffron coloured Irumudi. The Prasadam at Sabarimala temple is Aravana payasam and Appam. These are prepared by using rice, ghee, sugar and jaggery. The rice needed to prepare the prasadam at Sabarimala temple is supplied by Chettigulankara Devi Temple, the second largest temple under the Travancore Devaswom Board situated at Mavelikkara.