69-545: Nilakkal , also spelled Nilackal , is an important base camp of Sabarimala Hindu pilgrims located in Ranni tehsil of Pathanamthitta district in the Indian state of Kerala . Sabarimala temple is located at a distance of 23 km (14 mi) from Nilakkal. According to some historical records, the name Nilakkal is associated with Nilavaaya , considered to be the presiding deity of old Shasta temple (present Sabarimala) at
138-416: A Vratham (a 41-day austerity period) prior to the pilgrimage. This begins with wearing a special Mala (a neck chain made of Rudraksha or Tulasi beads is commonly used, although other types of chains are also available). During the 41 days of Vratham, the devotee who has taken the vow is required to strictly follow the rules that include following only a lacto-vegetarian diet (In India, vegetarianism
207-609: A deity revered in the Vedas. This significant ritual involves pouring sacred ghee brought by pilgrims in their Pallikettu or Irumudi (a two-compartment bag made of handwoven cotton cloth used to carry the offerings for Sabarimala Temple carried on their heads) on the idol of Ayyappan. It symbolically means the merging of Jeevatma with the Paramatma . Makaravilakku is an annual festival held on Makara Sankranti in Kerala, India at
276-461: A mosque in Erumely dedicated to Vavar , a Muslim saint who according to tradition was devotee of Ayyappan. Millions of devotees still follow the traditional mountainous forest path (approximately 61 km) from Erumely , 12.8 km from Vandiperiyar and 8 km from Chalakayam, believed to be taken by Ayyappa himself. The Erumely route starts from Erumely to Aludha river, then crosses
345-836: A police station, Government primary health centre, KSRTC bus stand and accommodation facilities for the pilgrims. The nearest medical centre to Nilakkal is the Government Primary Health Centre started on 19 January 2014, by Dr.Prasob Enose , which functions throughout the year, benefiting tribal families in Attathodu colony. Nilakkal lies on the Mannarakkulanji - Chalakkayam state highway ( SH-67 ). The Adoor - Vandiperiyar highway passes through Plappally , 8 km (5.0 mi) west to Nilakkal. During Sabarimala pilgrimage, state-owned K.S.R.T.C buses provides chain services from Pamba to Nilakkal for
414-555: A significant rainfall of over 3,000 mm (120 in) during the South-West Monsoon of last few years. But the amount of precipitation is comparatively low during the North-East Monsoon, Pre-Monsoon and Non-Monsoon period, with only 1,000 mm (39 in) of precipitation. The minimum annual rainfall recorded here is 2,391.6 mm (94.16 in) and a maximum of 4,617.1 mm (181.78 in), which
483-407: A sojourn at the thavalam. In the later stages, the region came under the possession of Vel kings of Ay kingdom (later became Venad ). The old shrine at Nilakkal is currently administered by Travancore devaswom board (TDB). During Sabarimala pilgrimage, many pilgrims visit the temple to have a sojourn and worship. On this occasion, Nilakkal will be crowded by a large number of pilgrims. The temple
552-561: A sweet ball composed of rice, kadalippazham, and ghee, whereas 'Arvana' refers to a dense and sweet dessert. The Chief Commissioner, Travancore Devaswom Board, said that the board has been appointed by the Central Food Technological Research Institute , Mysore, as a consultant for providing technical guidance to ensure the quality of Aravana, Appam, and other prasadam preparations at Sabarimala temple. Vadakkathillathu Eswaran Namoothiri, who held
621-429: A trade route passed through Nilakkal. It was a well established populous trade center during the first century AD, primarily exporting spices such as cinnamon , ginger , pepper and forest products like timber and ivory . The place at that time was commonly known as Nilakkal thavalam and it was connected to ports like Muziris (present Kodungalloor ) and Purakkad . Merchants who traveled with their trade items had
690-694: Is Shasta . All these can be seen merged into the beliefs of pilgrims to Sabarimala. The chain the pilgrims wear comes from the Rudraksha chain of the Shaivites. The strict fasting, penance and continence is taken out of the beliefs of the Vaishnavites. The offering of tobacco to Kaduthaswamy can be considered to be taken from the Shaktists. The duration of the pilgrimage to the Sabarimala temple
759-431: Is a small Mukkalvetti Ayyappa temple at Cheerappanchira, near Kollam which hold 3/4 power of Ayyappa and rest in Sabarimala. The Sabarimala temple does not have any ancient or medieval references. Nevertheless, there are extant late medieval references pertaining to the temple. The Pandalam royal family drafted a mortgage document in 1793. It states that the royal family is pledging the revenue returns, which encompass
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#1732791871796828-542: Is a village in Alappuzha district of Kerala state, south India . It is situated in between Cochin and Kumarakom and on the western shore of Vembanad Lake , 5 km east of the town of Cherthala , which has the nearest railway station. A church was erected near the village temple. The present church was rebuilt in 1900 on the same site. Local attractions include picnic boating at Kokkamangalam. The long view of "Vembanad Lakeexpans" with green margin of coconut palms
897-404: Is about 30% above the state average. Sufficient amount of rainfall is received during the months of June, July, August and September. Although Humidity increases during the months of March and April, a pleasant climate is normally experienced. The best weather is normally from October to February. Winter begins from the month of December to mid-February. Since Nilakkal and its surroundings are in
966-399: Is also a heliport at Perunad , near Nilakkal, which operates at times of Sabarimala pilgrimage. A helipad is constructed at Nilakkal base camp as part of the disaster management and to deal with emergency situations. Sabarimala The Sabarimala Sree Dharma Sastha Temple ( Malayalam pronunciation: [ʃabəɾimala] ) is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Ayyappan , who
1035-510: Is also considered a must see. Kokkamangalam village itself is a place of traditional coconut processing cottage industry and numerous small coir spinning units. Thanneermukkom saltwater barrier, Pathiramanal Island, Kumarakom bird sanctuary are among the places of interest nearby. The Cochin International Airport is 70 kilometers from Kokkamangalam. This article related to a location in Alappuzha district , Kerala , India
1104-673: Is also known as Dharma Shasta and is the son of the deities Shiva and Mohini (female avatar of the god Vishnu ). The temple is situated atop the Sabarimala hill in the village of Ranni-Perunad, within the Ranni Taluk of the Pathanamthitta district in the state of Kerala , India. The temple is surrounded by 18 hills in the Periyar Tiger Reserve . It is one of the largest annual pilgrimage sites in
1173-423: Is cultivated in the gentle undulating lands and in plains with favorable geographical settings making its cultivation easier. As part of improving the parking facilities, a number of years tapped rubber trees were cut out. Sabari estate of Farming corporation is an important estate here. The land available for cultivation around Nilakkal is comparatively less hence most parts are covered by dense reserve forests. But
1242-488: Is located 45 km east to Nilakkal. This dam was built as a part of Sabarigiri hydro-electric project, the second largest hydro-electric project in Kerala. This dam is situated very close to the western ghats and also it is a tourist spot. Periyar Tiger Reserve : Periyar tiger reserve lies in northern part of Nilakkal. It spreads over an area of about 925 km² and is one of the 48 tiger reserves in India . Rubber
1311-574: Is one of the noted festivals of the temple. It is situated near the Shiva temple. Devi presides here, who is considered as the Mother of Lord Ayyappa . Pilgrims make offerings to Devi for welfare and sake. The Irumudi kettu nirakkal (a ritual related to Sabarimala pilgrimage) is performed here by the pilgrims after the Nayattu vili (a narrative song). Three poojas are held every day. Aravana payasam
1380-471: Is one of them. It is referred as 'Arappally' or half-church. The church is an example of the unity of the Christian churches and also of the communal harmony. The church trust proved that unity among the churches can be maintained and at the same time give respect to the sentiments of the faiths of other religions. The main message which the church provides is of 'love, peace and fraternity'. This church has
1449-509: Is predetermined. Furthermore, the pilgrims are required to undergo various stages of the pilgrimage in an ordered manner. The pilgrimage to Sabarimala starts on the first day of Vrischika month of the Malayalam year (the month of Scorpio) and ends on the 11th day of Dhanu month (the Month of Sagittarius). This season of the 41-day pilgrimage is known as the mandala (season). The season is in
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#17327918717961518-486: Is shown as the greatest Yogi . Sage Suta told his followers the story of how Ayyappa was born, according to Bhutnathopakhyanam , a text for Ayyappan followers. After Chamundi killed Mahisasura, his sister Mahisi arrived to take revenge on the devas (gods). Brahma gave Mahishi a boon that made her invincible, and only a human born of two males could kill her. The devas were afraid and helpless, so they sought assistance from Vishnu. The union of Shiva and Vishnu, who took
1587-402: Is southwest of the sanctum. Devotees offer part of the broken coconut (Neythenga) to the fireplace (Azhi). Ganapati homam is the main offering. The temple of Maalikapurathamma , whose importance is almost on par with that of Ayyappan, is located a few yards from Sannidhanam. It is believed that Ayyappan had specific instructions that he wanted Malikappurath Amma on his left side. Prior to
1656-429: Is synonymous with lacto-vegetarianism), following celibacy , follow teetotalism , not using any profanity , control anger, and allow the hair and nails to grow without cutting. They must try to help others, and see everything around them as Ayyappa. They are expected to bath twice a day and visit the local temples regularly and only wear plain black or blue coloured traditional clothing. Many Hindu pilgrims also visit
1725-531: Is the custom that after seeing the Makarajyoti star, the lighting of the Makaravilakku shall begin. The most important message written at the temple facade is one of the four Mahāvākyas of Advaita or the non-dualistic school of philosophy. Tat Tvam Asi , the 3rd of four Mahavakyas which in sanskrit translates to "Thou Art That" is the principal philosophy that governs the temple and pilgrimage. As
1794-528: Is the divine daughter of Cheerappanchira Panicker who taught Kalaripayattu to Ayyappa. Cheerappanchira is an ancient noble Ezhava family renowned for its Kalari in Muhamma , Alappuzha District . According to legend, Ayyappan was send by the Pandalam king to Muhamma to learn Kalaripayattu. Malikapurathamma is the patron deity of the Pandalam dynasty to which Ayyappa's foster-parents belonged. Thus,
1863-470: Is the main offering to Devi. The famous Hindu pilgrim destination, Sabarimala is only at a distance of 23 km from here. Nilakkal is an unavoidable place during the times of pilgrimages. All the vehicles to Sabarimala passes through Nilakkal which is on the state highway 67 . Saint Thomas , who was an apostle of Jesus Christ established Seven and Half Churches in Kerala which was famed as Ezharappallikal . St. Thomas Ecumenical Church near Angamoozhy
1932-526: Is venerated as a child deity. In the Aryankavu temple, he is worshipped as an adolescent Brahmachari . The Achankovil temple is connected to the deity's Grihastha (household), where he is shown sitting on a horse and holding a sword, along with his wives, Pushkala and Poorna. The Sabarimala temple is associated with the deity's Vanaprastha , and in the Ponnambalmedu or Kantamala temple, the deity
2001-781: The Memoir of the Survey of the Travancore and Cochin States , which was published in two volumes by the Madras government in the 19th century, women of menstruating age were denied entry into the Sabarimala temple two centuries ago. Though the authors, lieutenants of the Madras Infantry, completed the survey by the end of the year 1820 after nearly five years of research, it was published in two volumes only in 1893 and 1901. According to
2070-504: The Western Ghats forests. It is located on the main trunk road leading to Sabarimala temple. Pathanamthitta town is about 42 km (26 mi) and Kottayam about 78 km (48 mi). Chittar (27 km) and Angamoozhy (7 km) are the nearby townships. Nilakkal's climate is classified under Köppen climate classification . It is also one of the five upstream rain gauge stations of Pamba river basin which receives
2139-402: The 18 sacred steps. In 1985, the 18 steps were covered by Panchaloha . The temples of Ayyappan's trusted lieutenants, Karuppu Sami and Kadutha Sami, are positioned as his guards (kaval) at the foot of the holy 18 sacred steps. The northern gate is open for those who do not carry an "Irumudikkettu", as observed in the 1991 Kerala High Court judgement. Ayyappan's half-brother Ganesha 's shrine
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2208-620: The Aludha mountain to reach Karivilam thodu. Now comes the sacred Karimala crossing, from there to Cheriyanavattom, Valliyanavattom and finally Pamba River . Then they have to climb Neelimala and enter into the Ganesha-Bettam, Shreerama-Betta Padam. Then comes the Aranmula kottaram , which is one of the stops of holy journey Thiruvabharana Ghoshayatra (the grand procession of the divine jewelry). These days people use vehicles to reach
2277-513: The Ayyappan temple, and the deities are worshipped as the parents of Ayyappan. Ganapathi temple at Pampa has Pampa Maha Ganapathi and Athi Ganapathi (lit. old Ganesha) idols; in Sreekovil, the idol from the first Ganesha temple is worshipped. Sabari Peedam has a temple for Rama and Hanuman as well. The prasadam at Sabarimala temple are Aravana payasam and Appam . An 'Appam' is
2346-475: The Pamba River by an alternate route. From Pamba, all the pilgrims begin trekking the steep mountain path of Neeli Mala till Sabari Mala. This route is now highly developed, with emergency shops and medical aid by the sides, and supporting aid is provided to the pilgrims while climbing the steep slope, which used to be a mere trail through dense jungle. The elderly pilgrims are lifted by men on bamboo chairs to
2415-474: The Panchaloha idol to replace the original stone statue of the deity. Edavankadan T.N. Padmanabhan Achari from Mavaelikkara was appointed the supervisor in charge of the new idol by Maharaja Sree Chithira Tirunaal Balarama Varma. In the early 1950s, through P. T. Rajan efforts, the present panchaloha idol of Ayyappan was installed at Sabarimalai, and a procession was taken all over Madras state. In 1969,
2484-535: The amalgamation of several religious traditions within the Indian context. The temple practises encompassed the prohibition of women between the ages of 10 and 50 years from accessing the temple premises. In 2018, the Supreme Court of India rendered a decision to invalidate the prohibition on female entry inside the temple. According to the Bhagavata Purana , the god Shiva fell in love with
2553-598: The avatar of Mohini, produced a son named Manikandan. Manikandan was abandoned on the banks of the Pampa River in southern India. The emperor Rajasekhara of the Panthalam dynasty, who didn't have any children, found this child. In the meantime, the queen delivered a baby. The queen disliked Manikandan and devised a scheme to eliminate him. She lied about her sickness, claiming that she could only be treated by consuming tiger's milk. Twelve-year-old Manikandan ventured into
2622-413: The fire disaster, there was only a Peeda Prathishta (holy seat) at Malikappuram. Brahmasree Kandararu Maheswararu Thanthri installed the idol of Malikappurath Amma. Maalikapurathamma holds a Sankh , Chakram and Varada Abhya Mudra . Now the idol is covered with a gold golaka. The temple was also reconstructed in the last decade, and now the conical roof and sopanam are covered with gold. The shrine of
2691-433: The flagstaff ( dhwajastambha ) was installed. The Sannidhanam (main temple) is built on a plateau about 40 feet high. The temple consists of a sanctum sanctorum with a gold-plated roof and four golden finials at the top, two mandapams , and the balikalpura, which houses the altar. The 18 sacred steps are the main stairway to the temple. As per the custom followed, no pilgrim without "Irumudikkettu" can ascend
2760-456: The forest interiors. While some other records has it that the name Nilakkal came from "Nilakkal thavalam". The place's alternate name Chayal denotes a place sloping towards Pamba river . But in another context, Chayal is referred to someone who is left alone. The historical background of Nilakkal was based on its geographical position which date backs to the ancient times. Kerala had age-long trade relations with Pandiyas and Cholas through
2829-726: The god Vishnu while he was in his female Mohini form. Their relationship resulted in the conception of the deity Shasta . Shasta is also known as Hariharaputra, the son of Hari (Vishnu) and Hara (Shiva). It is believed that Ayyappa is a form of Shasta. The worship of Shasta forms part of the ancient history of south India. There are many Shasta temples in South India and across the globe. Five Shasta temples, namely those in Kulathupuzha , Aryankavu , Achankovil , Sabarimala, and Ponnambalmedu , are said to be linked to Parashurama , an avatar of Vishnu. In Kulathupuzha, Shasta
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2898-468: The goddess is regarded as Ayyappa's mother and believed to shower her motherly affection not only on Ayyappa but also his devotees. The Cheerappanchira family to this day holds many rights in the Sabarimala temple, such as to conduct fireworks, to light Nilavilak and ceremonial lamps at the Malikapurathamma temple, collect half the coconuts given by devotees at the Malikapurathamma temple. There
2967-415: The historical records points out that Nilakkal in ancient times was an important commercial center exporting several spices and forest products like timber and ivory. Later, it was covered by thick forests. Predominately it is a remote hilly area classified as Malanad (geographic division of Kerala) totally surrounded by dense reserve forests and small scale rubber plantations. Geographic coordinates of
3036-416: The importance that it is the first Ecumenical church in the world and has been dedicated by all the denominations as an example of heritage by St. Thomas. The church is located in the interior part of the Sabarimala hills, while all the other churches built by St. Thomas are near to the coastal areas viz. Kokkamangalam , Paravoor , Palayoor , Thiruvithamkode . Even though there is no historical evidence of
3105-559: The income generated by the Sabarimala Temple, to the Tranvancore state . In 1863, Ward and Conner published an article that provided a description of Sabarimala and its vicinity. In the year 1902, the ruler of Travancore issued a directive for the restoration of the Sabarimala temple, which had suffered damage as a result of a fire incident. Kochu Thomman, a Mavelikkara resident of Christian faith, funded and carried out
3174-615: The king of the snakes, Nagaraja, is placed adjacent to the Malikappurathamma temple. Pilgrims, after the Darsan of Ayyappa and Kannimoola Ganapathi, make their darshan and give offerings to Nagaraja. Manimandapam is the place where Ayyappan vanished into the temple. The Sabarimala temple complex includes Pampa Ganapathi temple, Nilakal Mahadeva temple, and Palliyarakkavu Devi Temple temple. The Nilakal Mahadeva temple and Palliyarakkavu Devi Temple temple are as old as
3243-533: The land was under the possession of the Government-owned State Farming Corporation since 1982. Before 1982, the area was used for cultivating sugarcane by the co-operative Mannam Sugar Mills, Pandalam . The land occupied from Farming corporation was mostly utilized for improving parking facilities. At times of Sabarimala pilgrimage, heavy and medium vehicles drops pilgrims at Pamba and parks at Nilakkal in order to avoid
3312-738: The lowest (Episcopal) rank. It had the following incumbents : Nilakkal diocese was formed on 15 August 2010, by the order issued by H.H Baselios Mar Thoma Didymos I, the Catholicos cum Malankara Metropolitan. The first metropolitan of the diocese is H.G.Dr Joshua Mar Nicodimos. This newly formed diocese, comprising Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts, has 39 parishes including almost 2953 families. These parishes are organised into five ecclesiastical districts : Ayroor, Vayalathala , Ranni , Nilakkal and Kanakappaalam. The diocese has its headquarters at Ranni, named St. Thomas aramana , and also engages in charitable activities such as helping
3381-492: The middle of thick forests, locally developed thundershowers are common here. Nilakkal developed into a main base camp of Sabarimala pilgrimage and achieved huge progress by the initiation of Sabarimala master plan by Travancore Devaswom Board . In 2005, the Government gave 110 hectares (270 acres) of land to Devaswom board to improve the basic infrastructures and parking facilities for pilgrims at Nilakkal. Previously,
3450-547: The missionary work of St. Thomas in Nilakkal, some assumptions of his establishment of a church in this place ore written on old metal plates and other historical writings. Since the old church is in a dilapidated stage, a new church has been constructed in a site not far from it. The Nazrani diocese was nominally restored in 1977 as Syro-Malankara Catholic Church (Eastern Catholic, an Antiochian Rite ) Titular bishopric of Chayal (Italian) / Chaialum / Chaialen(sis) (Latin), of
3519-505: The months of December and January. The nearest railway station is Chengannur railway station is known as the Gateway of Sabarimala because devotees from Andhra, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and the rest of India alight at Chengannur railway station for their pilgrimage about 70% of devotees alight here so railway is going to create a new railway line from chengannur to pamba (Distance 75 km). The devotees are expected to follow
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#17327918717963588-434: The pilgrimage is symbolic for the journey to self-realization that all living beings possess the part and parcel of parabrahman (lord), pilgrims refer to each other as Swami , acknowledging their divinity with lord seated in everyone heart as bramhan. The oneness of jIva and Ishvara are qualitatively but not quantitatively described by enquiry into the inner meaning of the statement ‘tat tvam asi’as follows: The customs of
3657-405: The pilgrims to Sabarimala are based on five worshipping methods; those of Shaivites, Shaktists and Vaishnavites. At first, there were three sections of devotees – the devotees of Shakti worship their deity by way of yajna, literally sacrifice, the devotees of Vishnu who followed the strict penance and continence, and the devotees of Shiva who partly followed these two methods. Another name of Ayyappa
3726-404: The pilgrims. Private busses only operates through nearby places like Angamoozhy and Thulappally . Still transportation is comparatively less in the region. The nearest railway stations are Chengannur (68 km) and Thiruvalla (73 km). Cochin International Airport (136 km) and Thiruvananthapuram international airport (156 km) are the nearest airports to Nilakkal. There
3795-456: The place is 9°22′49.43″N 76°59′52.6″E . The region has an altitude ranging from 330 m (1,080 ft) above mean sea level . A sizeable portion is covered by thick reserve forests of Western Ghats mountain ranges and rubber plantations. The holy river Pamba , flows westward through the northern part of Nilakkal and finally merges with Vembanadu Lake . Nilakkal lies in the eastern part of Pathanamthitta district and west to Sabarimala near
3864-503: The police force to ensure that restriction was complied with. The high court also stated that "since there is no restriction between one section and another section or between one class and another class among the Hindus in the matter of entry to a temple (Sabarimala), whereas the prohibition is only in respect of women of a particular age group and not women as a class." Kokkamangalam Kokkamangalam also known as Gokkamangalam
3933-435: The poor and needy in and around the diocese. Attathodu Tribal Colony : A remote tribal settlement is situated near Nilakkal named Attathodu , on the banks of river Pamba . Majority of the tribals here belongs to Malapandaram (hill pandaram) community, commonly seen in the sacred forests of Sabarimala . People here engages in small scale agriculture and relays on the forest products. Kakki Reservoir : Kakki reservoir
4002-595: The position of melsanthi , a chief priest, started the tradition of singing keerthan in the year 1950. Following the Athazhapooja , he performed the recitation of Harivarasanam . Harivarasanam is a Sanskrit Urakkupattu, a lullaby. The recitation takes place nightly before the closure of the temple entrance. The keerthan can be found in the Sasthasthuti kadambam, a publication authored by Kambankudi Sundaram Kulathu Ayyer. The song depicts Ayappa as Hariharaputhra,
4071-541: The reconstruction contract. In the year 1950, the temple was rebuilt after an arson attack. No charges were brought, and the earlier stone image of the deity was replaced by a panchaloha (an alloy of five metals) idol, about one and a half feet tall. Neelakanta Panicker and his younger brother, Ayyappa Panicker, who are members of the Thattavila Vishwakarma family in Chengannur, Kerala, created
4140-464: The report, individuals who have reached puberty or a specific age are prohibited from approaching the temple, while elderly women and young girls are permitted to do so. This is due to the deity's (Ayyappan) aversion to any sexual activity in the vicinity. Up until 1991, women visited the temple, though in small numbers. Women pilgrims below the age of 50 would visit the temple to conduct the first rice-feeding ceremony of their children ( Chorroonu ) in
4209-473: The rush at Pamba. The parking grounds at Nilakkal could accommodate more than 4000 vehicles at one time. The parking has been divided into various sectors for the convenience of pilgrims from various states. Recently, Devaswom board also improved the drinking water and sanitation facilities at the camp. A nadapanthal (shed) is constructed in front of the Mahadeva temple for the pilgrims. The base camp also have
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#17327918717964278-501: The shrine of Sabarimala. The festival includes the Thiruvabharanam (sacred ornaments of the deity Ayyappan) procession and a congregation at the hill shrine of Sabarimala. An estimated half a million devotees flow to Sabarimala every year to have a darshan (vision) of this ritual this day. This is a star that appears at the moment of Makar Sankranti, before the holy arti and the lighting of the Makaravilakku at Ponnambalamedu. It
4347-632: The temple premises. In 1991, Justices K. Paripoornan and K. Balanarayana Marar of the Kerala High Court , in their ruling against the Travancore Devaswom Board , restricted the entry of women between the ages of 10 and 50 from offering worship at the temple, stating that such a restriction was in accordance with the usage prevalent from time immemorial. In addition, the judges directed the Government of Kerala to use
4416-610: The top, on being paid. Temple management places religious restrictions against the entry of women aged 10 to 50. This is based on the tradition of the temple to respect the celibate nature of the deity; similar restrictions are present against the entry of men on certain days or the inner sanctum in other Hindu temples such as the Pushkar Brahma Temple and the Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati. According to
4485-414: The wilderness in search of tiger's milk for her mother. On his journey through the forest, he destroyed Mahisi. The devas were pleased at Mahishi's death. Indra assumed the appearance of a tiger, which Manikandan used to return to the kingdom. He flung an arrow into the forest to mark the location of a temple, directed them to construct a temple, and then departed for Devaloka (the devas' abode). Shabari
4554-402: The world, with an estimate of over 10 to 15 million devotees visiting every year. The temple is open for worship only during the days of Mandala Pooja (approximately 15 November to 26 December), Makaravilakku or Makara Sankranti (14 January), and Maha Thirumal Sankranti (14 April), and the first five days of each Malayalam month . The Sabarimala Temple serves as a prime example of
4623-599: Was a tribal devotee of Rama who is mentioned in the Ramayana . Sabarimala literally translates to "the hill of Sabari." As per legend, Sabari met Sage Matanga near the foot of Mount Rishyamukha. He became her guru, and she devotedly served him for years. When Matanga was on his deathbed, he foretold that Rama would come to grant her darshan. He told her to wait for the arrival of Rama. Since that time, Sabari has only left her ashram each day to gather berries for Rama. She would pick one, taste it, and place it in her basket if it
4692-612: Was built in 1946. It is located just 1 km from the main highway that leads to Sabarimala. Lord Shiva is the presiding deity and he is believed to be in two moods, Ugramoorthy (fierce) and Mangala pradayakan (auspicious). A common belief is that Lord Shiva is showering his blessings to his son Lord Ayyappa to fight against all evil spirits while throwing all anger to the evils. There are only two Upa Prathishtas (sub-deities) here, Lord Kannimoola Ganapathi and Nandi . Three Poojas are held here daily. Special weekly days are Sunday, Monday and Friday. The Maha Shivaratri held annually
4761-482: Was sweet, discarding the bitter berries because she wanted Rama to have only the sweet berries. While in his search for Sita, Rama visits the Sabari at her ashram. Sabari fed Rama with the berries that she had collected. Rama saw a divine person doing penance and asked Shabari to tell him who it was. Shabari said it was Sastha (Ayyappan). Sastha also stood and greeted Rama. According to mythology, Maalikapurathamma
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