Sabarimala Sree Dharma Shasta Temple
It is the largest annual pilgrimage site in the world, between 17 million and 50 million devotees visit each year. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu lord Ayyappa, who is known as Dharma Shasta, according to a belief, Lord Ayyappa is the son of Lord Siva and the female incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Sabarimala traditions are a meeting point of Saivism, Shakti, Vaisahnavism and other sramana traditions.
The temple is situated on the top of a hill at an elevation of 480m (1,574ft) above sea level, and surrounded by mountains and dense forests. The temple is open to people belonging to all religions. There is a place near the temple; east of Sannidhanam (the abode of Lord Ayyappa), dedicated to Vavar (a close friend of Lord Ayyappa) which is called Vavaru Nada, an epitome of religious harmony. Another unique aspect of this temple is that it is not open throughout the year. It is open for worship only during the days of Mandalapooja, Makaravilakku and Vishu.
It is said that the pilgrims have to observe celibacy for 41 days before going to Sabarimala. Pilgrims take the traditional forest routes as well as the one from Pamba which is less physically challenging to reach the temple.
Location
Pathanamthitta
Main Deity
Lord Ayyappa
Other Deities
The shrine of Kannimoola ganapathi prathishta is south-west to the Sreekovil of the Sannidhanam. And the shrine of the lord snakes, Nagarajav is placed adjacent to themalikappuram temple. The temples of Lord 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 temple of Maalikapurathamma, whose importance is almost in par with Lord Ayyappa, is located few yards from Sannidhanam. The Sabarimala temple complex include Pampa Ganapathi temple, Nilakal Mahadeva temple and Palliyara Bhagavathi temple. The Nilakal Mahadeva temple and Palliyara Bhagavathi temple is as old as the Sastha temple and the deities are worshiped as the parents of Lord Ayyappa. Ganapathi temple at Pampa has Pampa Maha Ganapathi and Athi Ganapathi. Sabari Peedam has a temple of Rama and Hanuman also.
Festivals
The Mandala Pooja Festival, an important part of the Sabarimala Festival in Kerala begins 41 days before the auspicious day of Makar Sankranti. It continues for that period of 41 days at a stretch. The Makara Villaku Pooja Festival, the most important part of the Sabarimala Festival in Kerala lasts for seven days. It commences on Makar Sankranti which is a very auspicious day of the Hindu calendar. It also heralds the beginning of the Malayalam month of Makaram. The presiding deity of the Sabarimala Temple is Lord Ayyappa. He is highly revered by the people. According to legend he was born of the union of Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu and is hence symbolic of the unity between Shaivites and Vaishnavites. The Makara Villaku Festival commemorates the day on which Lord Ayyappa was installed in the Sabarimala temple. The Mandal Puja Festival is a prelude to the Makara Villaku Festival.
Main Offerings
Usha pooja, ucha poooja, Nithya pooja, Aravana, Appom, Ganapathi Homam, Bhagavathiseva, Pushpabhishekam, Kalabhabhishekam, Ashtabhishekam, Laksharchana, Sahasra Kalasham, Padi pooja, Udayasthamana pooja, Ulsavabali, Muzhukkappu, Sahasra Namarchana, Ashtothararchana, Thulabharam, Neyyabhishekam, Vibhoothi prasadam, Vella Nivedyam, Sarkkara Payasam, Panchamritham, Abhishkam Neyy, Soyamvararchana, Navagraha pooja, Otta graha pooja, Valsan Nivedyam, Gold Ornaments Pooja, Ayyappa chakram , Nelppaea,
How To Reach
By Air: Sabarimala is located in the Western Ghats, inside a forest area in south Kerala. The nearest airports are the international airports in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram. Pilgrims reaching Kochi by air will have to travel about 160 km by road and those flying into Thiruvananthapuram will have to travel about 170 km by road in order to reach the temple.
Pilgrims can also visit Sabarimala by arriving at Calicut International Airport in Karipur, Kozhikkode or use the TamilNadu airports of Madurai or Coimbatore. These airports, however, are only the first step in the journey to Sabarimala, as the next part of the journey will have to be completed by rail or road. Pilgrims arriving at Kozhikode by air, for instance, will have to travel about 330 km by road or by rail and road. Similarly people reaching Coimbatore and Madurai will have to travel about 315km by road from Coimbatore and 250 km by rail and road from Madurai to reach Sabarimala. Pilgrims from Coimbatore can also reach Kottayam by train. The approximate distance is 250 km. After the train journey, travelers will have to complete the last 90 km by road. Similarly, pilgrims from Kozhikode can also travel by train to reach Kottayam, which is about 260 km away. From Madurai Airport, pilgrims can visit Sabarimala via Kumali by road
By Train: There is no direct railway line connecting other towns to Sabarimala but there are a few railway stations near the temple. The nearest railway stations are at Kottayam, Thiruvalla and Chenganur which are about 90 kilometres from Sabarimala. For pilgrims coming from places outside Kerala, like Mangalapuram, Bangalore, Coimbatore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Delhi, disembarking at Kottayam railway station is the most convenient stop followed by Thiruvalla and Chenganur for easy access to Sabarimala.
Some trains end their trip at Ernakulam which is to the northwest of Kottayam. Pilgrims getting down at Ernakulam will need to proceed to Kottayam by boarding another train for an additional journey of about 1½ hours. They may also proceed by road to reach Sabarimala. Some trains BYmay go from Ernakulam to Kollam or Thiruvananthapuram via Alappuzha and these will not touch Kottayam. Pilgrims traveling in these trains may need to get down at Alappuzha and then proceed by road through Changanassery and Erumely, or else, may need to get down at Kayamkulam and proceed by road via Adoor. The distance in both cases by road is about 125 kilometres. For pilgrims coming from Thiruvananthapuram by train, the best stations to disembark are Thiruvalla or Chenganur and then travel about 90 kms by road to reach Sabarimala.
By Road: The majority of visitors to Sabarimala arrive by road. Devotees coming from the state of Karnataka who come via Managalore or Mysore can come to Thrissur town in the central part of Kerala. They may then take the Moovattupuzha-Kottayam road to reach Sabarimala. It is about 210 kilometres from Thrissur to Sabarimala.
Devotees from Tamilnadu or Andra Pradesh can reach Thrissur via Coimbatore or Guddalore. Pilgrims coming from the central regions of the State of Tamilnadu can come via Madurai or else through Kumali to reach Sabarimala. From Madurai, it is about 250 kilometres by road to reach the shrine.
For pilgrims coming from regions in southern Tamilnadu like Nagercoil, Sabarimala may be reached via Thiruvananthapuram - Kottarakkara -and Adoor. Sabarimala is about 250 kilometres from Nagercoil. Pigrims can also arrive via NH47 from Thiruvananthapuram via Kollam, Kayamkulam, Mavelikkara, Chengannur or Thiruvalla.
Pilgrims arriving from Chenkotta of Tamilnadu, can come to Punaloor and reach Sabarimala via Ranni and Erumeli. Pilgrims coming by road from Ernakulam can proceed via Vaikom-Ettumanoor route to reach Kottayam and from there through the Kanjirappalli-Erumeli route to reach Sabarimala. The total distance is about 165 km.
And for those coming from Alappuzha, Sabarimala can be accessed by road through the Chanaganassery-Erumeli route. In addition to journeying from Alappuzha, pilgrims can proceed through Thiruvalla, Kozhencherry and Pathanamthitta to reach Sabarimala, which is about 125 km by road.