Journey to Sabarimala

1. On a pilgrimage to Sabarimala

2. • Sabarimala is a Hindu pilgrimage
center located in the Western
Ghats mountain ranges of
Pathanamthitta District in
Kerala state.
• Sabarimala is believed to be the
place where the Hindu God
Ayyappan meditated after killing
the powerful demon, Mahishi.
• The temple is situated here amidst
18 hills.
• The temple is situated on a hilltop
at an altitude of 468 m (1535 ft)
above mean sea level, and is
surrounded by mountains and
dense forests.
• The temple is open for worship
only during 15Nov - 25 Dec, 14 -
18 Jan and on 14th April.

3. It is the largest annual pilgrimage in the world with
an estimated 50 million devotees visiting every year

4. • Sabarimala is linked to Hindu pilgrimage,
predominantly for men of all ages.
• You can identify a Sabarimala pilgrim easily
as they wear black , blue or saffron dress.
• They do not shave till the completion of
pilgrimage and smear Vibhuti or Sandal
paste on their forehead.
• Women between the ages of 10 and 50 are
not allowed to enter the temple, since the
story attributed to Ayyappa prohibits the
entry of the women in the menstrual age
group. This is because Ayyappan is
a Bramhachari(Celibate).

5. • The devotees are expected to follow a Vratham (41-day fasting) prior to the
pilgrimage. This begins with wearing of a special Mala (a garland made of Rudraksha,
Tulasi or Pearl beeds).
• In general the devotees are to refrain from non-vegetarian food, alcohol, tobacco,
engaging in sex, using foul language, hair-cut, shaving and even trimming the nails.
Devotees are not allowed to use footwear during the fasting period
• They are expected to bath twice in a day and visit the local temples regularly and only
wear plain black or blue colored traditional clothing.

6. • Devotees visiting the Sabarimala Temple carry the Irumudi (a specially designed bag). This
ceremony is referred as Kettunira or Palli Kettu.
• Irumudi is the only travelling kit which a pilgrim carries on his head during the pilgrimage. Only
those who observe fasting for 41 days are allowed to carry it. Without the Irumudi one is not
allowed to step onto the holy 18 steps at the Sannidhanam (temple).
• Irumudi is used to carry pooja articles and offering to be given at the temple

7. Devotees walking through the forest to reach
the temple (Sannidhanam)

8. Vavarswami mosque en-route to Sabarimala.
Pilgrims visit the mosque on their way to
Sabarimala. It is said that Vavar and Ayyappan
were close friends. The devotion of Vavaraswami
to Ayyappan and the key role that the Islamic
Mosque has in the Ayyappa Pilgrimage, highlights
the communal harmony .
The pilgrims settle
down at the banks of
Pampa river and offer
feast to fellow pilgrims
and do rituals for their
ancestors.
Saramkuthi is very important pilgrim spot
on the way to Sabarimala. It lies on the
traditional trekking path and is about 1 km
from Pampa rive. From here, a walk of 1.5
km leads to the Sannidhanam
(Sabarimala).
Malikapurathamma
Devi Temple is
situated in the
Northern Part of
Sabarimala.
Malikapurathamma is
the one of the most
important temple in
Sabarimala.
Appachimedu is located on the way from Pamba to Sabarimala Temple. It is one of the important
places that an Ayyappa devotee comes across while trekking to the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple.
On both the sides of the path to the temple there are two deep pits. These pits are known as
Appachi and Eppachi. Ayyappa devotees throw rice powder balls (Ariyunda) into the pits.

9. "Appam and Aravana" are the two major
forms of prasadam (blessings in the form
of edible sweets) that devotees can collect
from Sabarimala temple.
The prasadam is shared with friends and
relatives back home.