Key Pilgrimage Seasons

Sabarimala Pilgrimage

The Sabarimala Sree Dharma Sastha Temple is one of the most famous and busiest forest pilgrimage temples in India. At one point of time, it was also considered to be the temple that attracted the most number of devotees in the world. This hill top shrine is located within the Periyar Tiger Reserve forests that lie in the Western Ghat mountain ranges of Pathanamthitta district of Kerala. According to unofficial records, an estimate of three to five crore devotees visit the temple each year. Lord Ayyappa, also known as Sri Dharmasastha is the presiding deity of the temple. Devotees believe that the soul of Lord Ayyappa unified with Dharmasastha here at Sabarimala.

It is the rituals and traditions associated with the pilgrimage to Sabarimala that sets this temple apart from the rest of the temples in India. The temple is not open to pilgrimages or pujas throughout the year. The opening and closing dates of the temple are determined as per the Malayalam calendar.  The primary pilgrimage seasons of the temple are the Mandalapooja and Makaravilakku.  

The most important pilgrimage season at Sabarimala commences on the first day of the Malayalam month of Vrishchikam [November-December] and stretches right unto the eleventh day of the Malayalam month of Dhanu [December-January]. This pilgrimage time of the year that is 41 days long is often referred to as the Mandala kaalam at Sabarimala. The days of Mandalapooja constitute the peak pilgrimage season to Sabarimala.

There are several strict rituals and traditions to be followed by every devotee who wishes to visit Sabarimala. They are required to undertake a rigorous fast as well as observe celibacy for 41 days and wear the holy chain before heading for the temple and cleanse away their sins. Devotees set out through perilous trails filled with hardships, cross the Karimala, and take a dip in the sacred waters of the Pampa before trudging across Neelimala to seek solace in the presence of Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala. Only those devotees who reach Sabarimala bearing the traditional Irumudi kettu (sacred two-part bundle of offerings) are permitted to climb the 18 sacred steps to get a glimpse of and pray to the presiding deity. The rigorous rituals and traditions, 41 days of restrictions with regards to attire, food so on and so forth all make the pilgrims at Sabarimala stand apart from those who set out on a pilgrimage to other temples in India.

Once the Mandala kaalam at Sabarimala concludes the next main pilgrimage time is the Makaravilakku festival that takes the festivities at the temple to an all-new level. Makaravilakku occurs on the Makarasankranthi day (mid-January) annually and marks the culmination of the season. The main ritual associated with the day is the lighting of Makarajyothi, the Makaravilakku lamp at Ponnambalamedu, a hill located near Sabarimala. Witnessing the Makarajyothi is considered to be auspicious. The event can be witnessed from Sannidhanam, Paandithavalam, Sharamkuthi, Marakootam, Pulmedu, the hilltop, Neelimala, Chalakkayam and Attathodu. Yet another fascinating event that is associated with Makaravilakku is the Thiruvabharanam procession. This ceremonial procession of the Sacred Ornaments of Lord Ayyappa starts from the Valiyakoikkal temple in Pandalam every year, three days before the Makaravilakku festival and reaches the Sannidhanam on the day of Makaravilakku. Once this festival also concludes, the most important time of the year at this temple draws to a close.

Apart from these two events, the temple also opens for the first five days of every Malayalam month and during other auspicious occasions like Vishu and Onam. The sanctum sanctorum opens every morning during these days at 3.00 AM for the rituals. It closes at 11.00 PM after the playing of Harivarasanam.

Harivarasanam

Every night, at the Sabarimala temple, just before the sanctum sanctorum is closed for the day a divine song is played as a lullaby for the deity, Lord Ayyappa. This song is world renowned as Harivarasanam. As the song slowly concludes, the junior priests step out one after the other from the sanctum sanctorum. Following this the head priest also known as the Melshanti gently puts out the holy lamps in the sreekovil and closes the shrine. This ritual is seen only here at the Sabarimala temple.

The Harivarasanam keerthanam is an ode to Lord Ayyappa (also known as Dharmasastha), glorifying him and describing him from head to toe. The Harivarasanam keerthanam has 16 padas. Of these, eight are sung at Sabarimala each night.