Sabarimala, the Ayyappa temple

Located at a height of 3000 feet the Sabarimala temple in the district of Pathanamthitta in the state of Kerala in India is a greatly revered pilgrim spot by many devotees of Lord Ayyappa. With the dense forests forming the background, this is a holy spot where Lord Ayyappa is believed to have meditated. The temple is not open throughout the year. It is open only during the auspicious days of Mandala puja, Chitra Vishu and Makaravilakku.

Pilgrims visiting the Ayyappa temple fast for 41 days and abstain from basic human desires. Then they trek up the path to the temple which is around 5 km and cross difficult paths through forests and the River Pampa.

Legend has it that Sage Durvasa, in anger cursed the gods and they all became old. They could regain their youth only  by drinking the nectar or amruth. So the holy churning of the ocean started. God Dhanvantari came out of the ocean holding a white pot which contained the amrut. The demons ran away with this pot. To help the helpless Gods out, Lord Vishnu took the form of a beautiful damsel Mohini to entice the demons. Mohini duped the demons and brought the nectar. Lord Shiva was curious to see Lord Vishnu’s female form. When he actually did see, he didn’t know that the beautiful damsel he saw was Lord Vishnu, he got attracted to Mohini and the union resulted in the birth of Lord Ayyappa. This baby was taken to Kailash and Lord Shiva brought him up.

In the meantime, Lord Brahma gave a boon to the evil demoness Mahishi that she could not die in human hands but would die if she is killed by the child begot by Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva. When the Gods asked for help , Lord Vishnu created a buffalo Mahishi to entice here. Mahisha and Mahishi lived happily. Lord Ayyappa knowing about his mission, searched for the demoness to kill here. He finally found her and killed her and danced on her dead body. Mahishi was actually a beautiful damsel who was cursed to be a demoness. When she regained her form, she requested Lord Ayyappa to make her his consort. Lord Ayyappa refused and transformed here into Mother Goddess. She is the deity who is today revered as “Malikkappurath Amma”.  Lord Ayyappa went back to his foster father King Rajasekhara of Pandalam. He went on the tiger’s back with many damsels in the form of leopardesses.  When he entered Pandalam everyone got scared of the tiger and the leopardesses,. Lord Ayyappa, gave the leopardesses’ milk to cure his mother of her headache. Then King Rajasekhara knew about the divinity of the lord and asked for a boon that the lord would forever live in his Kingdom. So Lord Ayyappa asked a shrine to be built for him on top of the Neelimala hill where the saint Sabari had penanced. So the hill where the temple is there is called the Sabari mala. Lord Ayyappa shot an arrow and the arrow landed at the spot where the temple exists today. He also requested for 18 steps to be constructed and told about the rules that the devotees would have to follow before visiting him. The temple was built and temples were also built for Vavar who was Ayyappa’s trusted Muslim lieutenant. The devotees who constructed the temple finished the construction and crossed the River Azutha and the Karimala and Azutha mountains and reached Pampa River at nightfall. This is the route that pilgrims follow today.

Lord Ayyappa requested that he wanted the idol to be in a seated position with a belt around his knees and with the chin mudra signifying giving refuge. Vishwakarma the royal architect built this temple. Parasurama carved the images.

Today the Sabarimala temple or the Ayyappa temple pilgrimage has many features and is different from other pilgrimages. The pilgrim is totally besotted in his devotion to the lord and never realizes the burden of the tiring journey up. He carries a knapsack with him signifying the burden of his past, and atones for all this sins committed.

The eighteen steps signify the five indriyas, the three gunas, the Eight ragas and the Vidya and AVidya. A coconut is broken by the devotee before he places his foot on the first step symbolizing the smashing of his ego. The outer hard shell is the Tamas, the soft kernel is the rajas and the water inside is the Satva. The devotees reach the temple after the 18 steps and go round the temple and also visit the Lord Ganesha and Lord Karthikeya temples. The Malikapurathu Amma temple is located just next to the temple of Lord Ayyappa.

The Sankranti day is a great day here when the annual celebration of the Makara Vilakku is observed. This is a spectacular sight rendering all the devotees completely helpless with emotion. The jewellery to adorn the idol is brought from the Pandalam Palace in a procession.

The dates for the Ayyappa temple this year is from December 27 when the Mandala Puja is held, then the Makara Vilakku Mahotsav is on December 30 and the Makara Vilakku is on January 15,2012.

Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa !