51-620: Traditional Makara Jyothi is a star worshiped by pilgrims at Sabarimala Temple in Kerala on Makara Sankranti every year. It is believed that the deity Ayyappan asserts himself as Makara Jyothi to bless his devotees. Makara ( Sanskrit : मकर ) is the name of a zodiac sign in Indian languages known as Capricorn in English. Jyoti means "light" in Sanskrit. The huge crowd of pilgrims that witnesses
102-524: A Jala Kanyaka ( mermaid ), who had a lust for him, to live in the temple pond in the form of a fish. A common belief is that the temple was founded by the Raja of Pandalam , but the idol of Sastha was founded by a Brahmin from Kottarakkara . Earlier, the temple was in the possession of the king of Kottarakkara. It was later handed over to the Travancore Devaswom Board . The tantric rights of
153-416: 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
204-596: 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
255-456: 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
306-539: A prime example of 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
357-549: A renewed debate after this stampede, Kerala High Court wanted to know whether or not Makara Jyoti is a man-made phenomenon, asking about the authenticity of the hallowed celestial light visible from Sabarimala. "A distinction has to be made between the Makaravilakku and Makara Jyothi. The Jyothi is a celestial star. Makarvilakku is lit [by people]," said the head of the Thazamon Thanthri family, Kantararu Maheswararu. After this
408-544: 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
459-667: 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
510-584: Is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shasta , located in Kulathupuzha in the Kollam district of Kerala , India. It is one of the five important Sastha temples in Kerala, the others being Aryankavu , Achankovil , Sabarimala and Kanthamala. The idol there is believed to have been installed by Parashurama and is made up of eight pieces of stone. The temple is known for the Meenoottu (fish feeding) offering. The temple
561-653: Is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Ayyappan , who 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
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#1732859152040612-431: 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
663-601: Is governed by the Travancore Devaswom Board . The temple is located in Kulathupuzha in the tehsil of Punalur in Kollam district . It is situated about 64 km (40 mi) from Kollam on the banks of the Kulathupuzha River, a tributary of the Kallada River . According to the legend, the Kulathupuzha temple is one of the five Sastha temples founded by Parashurama . It is also believed that Sastha allowed
714-432: Is one of the largest annual pilgrimage sites in 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
765-500: 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
816-486: 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
867-402: 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
918-429: 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
969-462: 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
1020-518: 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,
1071-514: 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
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#17328591520401122-752: 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
1173-402: 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
1224-604: 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
1275-503: 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
1326-542: The Justice T Chandrasekhara Menon committee that investigated the stampede refrained from going into the details of authenticity of Makara Jyothi. It stated that Makara Jyothi is a matter of belief and could not be investigated. Justice Chanadrasekhara Menon had probed the veracity of Makara Jyoti during that time. He also appointed an advocate of the commission to witness it. The 2011 stampede occurred during an annual pilgrimage, killing 102 pilgrims and injuring more than 100. Amid
1377-469: 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
1428-468: 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,
1479-558: The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) said that it was known to most believers that it was a man lit-fire, but there was a Hindu belief behind it. "It is known to everybody that Makara Vilakku is a fire lit up by men at Ponnabalamedu and TDB also recognises this. But Makara Jyothi is a celestial star", TDB President M Rajagoplan Nair told reporters on 31 January 2011. Sabarimala The Sabarimala Sree Dharma Sastha Temple ( Malayalam pronunciation: [ʃabəɾimala] )
1530-587: 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
1581-432: The event has increased every year. It is believed that 1.5 million devotees witnessed Makara Jyoti in 2010. The revenue collection during the Makaravilakku period was also higher compared to previous years. The total donations were Rs. 720 million in 2008 against previous year’s Rs.723 million. In 1999 and 2011, two major human stampedes occurred on 14 January at Sabarimala, killing 53 and 106 people, respectively. In 1999
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1632-413: 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
1683-433: 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
1734-660: 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
1785-460: 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
1836-545: 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
1887-603: 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
1938-500: 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
1989-434: 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
2040-405: 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
2091-492: 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." Kulathupuzha Sastha Temple Kulathupuzha Sastha Temple
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2142-583: 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,
2193-525: 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
2244-464: 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
2295-494: 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
2346-529: The temple are held by the Kokkalathu Mutt . The principal deity of the temple is Shasta . He is in the form of Balasastha (child form) and is commonly known as Kulathupuzha Balakan . There is a popular song titled "Kulathupuzhayile Balakane" praising the deity of the temple. The deity here is in a fierce mood ( ugramūrti ) as well as in an auspicious mood ( mangalapradāyakan ). Shiva , Yakshi , Vishnu , Ganesha , Boothathan, Nāga , and Karuppu Sami are
2397-540: 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
2448-589: 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
2499-414: 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
2550-594: 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
2601-478: 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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