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Discover the various routes to Sabarimala
The Lord Ayyappa Temple of Sabarimala is located in a forest in Pathanamthitta. The temple is situated on a hilltop, and is surrounded by mountains and dense forests. Vehicles are allowed only till Pamba, which is located about 5 km from and at the foot of Sabarimala. The holy Pamba flows serenely here. Taking a dip in the river is considered auspicious. Devotees then begin the trek uphill. There are strict traditional practices, rituals, preparations and dress codes meant for those intending to visit Sabarimala.
Sabarimala is well connected to various airports such as the Kochi International Airport (154 km away) and Thiruvananthapuram International Airport (170 km away). You can alight at these airports and take taxis or buses to reach Sabarimala.
The closest railway station to Sabarimala is Chengannur Railway Station, located 85 km away. The station is well connected to the rest of India through a busy rail network. You can alight at Chengannur, and get KSRTC buses or hire taxis to reach Sabarimala.
Devotees to Sabarimala have three routes to choose from in order to reach their destination. One is the traditional path through the woods at Erumeli, after which they have to climb up and down the Karimala to reach the Pamba, and climb another hill.
There are three main routes that a devotee can take to reach Sabarimala – the Erumeli route, the Vandiperiyar route and the Chalakkayam route. There are two phases in the Erumeli trail – one from Erumeli to Pamba and the next from Pamba to the Sannidhanam. In total, this trail is about 61 km long. The Vandiperiyar route covers a total of 95 kms. Again, after the devotees reach Pamba, they will have to trek uphill to reach the Sannidhanam. The easiest among these is the Chalakkayam route which is located near the Pamba river.
Taking the Erumeli path to climb the Karimala hill and trek through the dense forest in order to reach the Sannidhanam is most likely to be a very unforgettable experience in the life of any Ayyappa devotee...
It is the dream of every Ayyappa devotee to make at least one pilgrimage to the shrine in a year. There are three different routes to the Sannidhanam. The easiest is to take the Pathanamthitta road to Chalakkayam...
It might not be the traditional path, but it is indeed an exciting route to take on your trip to Sannidhanam. Vandiperiyar is a beautiful hamlet located in the Idukki district of Kerala. One of the main points in the Kottayam-Kumily Road...