Sabarimala is one of the most famous pilgrimage places in India. Thousands of devotees flock to Sabarimala to seek the blessings of Lord Ayappa. It is located in the western ghats at a height of 914 m above sea level and is accessible only via foot (4 km). It is dedicated to Lord Ayappa who is said to be born from the union of the female avatar of Lord Vishnu (Mohini) and Lord Shiva. Ayappa is also known as Hariharputra. Sabarimala is one of the most visited temples in India due to its religious significance.
It is one of the few temples that welcomes people of every caste and religion. Devotees uniformly dress in black. The colour signifies that everyone is equal before the eyes of Lord Ayappa. In fact, hierarchy among the devotees is based on how many times they have done the Sabarimala pilgrimage and not based on caste. At Sabarimala, a Dalit may be leading the prayers and Brahmin may touch his feet. This is the only temple in India where you will find something like this. There are various interesting facts and Sabarimala stories associated with the temple that are worth reading. Here are a few you will love!
The temple is situated amidst 18 hills of the Western Ghats. You also need to climb 18 stairs in order to reach the temple. Interesting. Isn’t it?
The first five steps symbolize the five ‘senses’ of the human body. Eight negative emotions including anger and jealousy symbolize the next eight steps. The next two symbolize innate qualities. The last two are ignorance and knowledge namely Vidya and Avidya.
During the period of Ramayana, an ascetic woman name ‘Shabri’ was living in this region of 18 hills. She was doing a strict penance only to meet Lord Ayappa. The temple got its name ‘Sabarimala’ from the woman’s name.
The devotees of Ayappa follow a strict lifestyle before visiting the temple. The main aspects of this 41-day period are celibacy, a vegetarian diet, no cutting of hair and nails, and sleeping on the floor without much comfort. The devotees also follow a strict dress code where they wear either black or blue colour garments. They wear garlands made of the beads of the Tulsi plants and apply sandalwood on their forehead.
Near the main shrine of Lord Ayappa is a mosque that is dedicated to Vavar, a Muslim Sufi saint. As per some legends, Vavar was a close friend of Ayappa and helped him kill Mahishi, a demoness. The devotees of the Sabarimala temple get the blessings of Vavar from his mosque.
The Sabarimala temple is a symbol of secularity and has strong connections with Islam. Vavar was one of Ayappa’s most loyal subjects. He was an Arab commander who was defeated in battle by Ayappa. Vavar is installed today as a spirit at a mosque in Erumeli. It is believed that he protects the pilgrims who undergo the 40 km trek from the jungles to the main temple. Muslims also take the journey to the Vavar shrine.
Sabarimala temple is one of the richest temples in India. People donate a lot of money every year to the temple and priests. The average income of a chief priest is over 56 lakh INR, which is an estimated income calculated over a period of 56 days.
The holy bath given to the deity, Lord Ayappa is called Neiyyabhishekam. It is done using the ghee carried to the temple by the devotees. The devotees fast for 41 days and carry the ghee in an empty coconut shell bundled in the same coloured cloth which the devotees wear for 41 days.
Every day before the temple closes a melodious song is sung. It has 108 words and 8 stanzas. This song was sung by Shrinivas Iyer in front of Shri Ayappa for many years. The tradition is continued by people who visit the temple and not a single day goes without this song being sung. The song is called ‘Harivarasanam’.
As per a recent Supreme Court order, this law has been changed and women can now enter the temple. Women who are of the menstruating age between 10 and 50 were not allowed earlier, the reason being the celibate nature of Lord Ayappa.
It is the food which is first presented to Lord Ayappa and then to the devotees after all the prayers and rituals are complete. The food is distributed to all the devotees who visit the temple. Aravanapayasam and appam which are prepared using ghee, rice, jaggery and sugar are served as prasadam in the temple. The prasadam that is served is a local delicacy that is enjoyed by the people of Kerala and is eaten by all devotees, priests and vendors nearby.
These were some of the facts about Sabarimala worth knowing before you plan a visit here.
Sabarimala temple is one of the most-visited holy sites in India. It is visited by people from all over the country. The pilgrim season at Sabarimala is from November to mid-January. The temple stays closed the rest of the year, except for Vishu and the first 5 days of the Malayalam month. Mandala pooja and Makaravilakku are two major events carried out during the pilgrim season.
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