Pankaj Kashyap: Sabarimala; an Ayyappa Temple You should Visit at least Once in Your Lifetime

Monday, 13 April 2015

Sabarimala; an Ayyappa Temple You should Visit at least Once in Your Lifetime

You definitely visited a temple at least once if you are a Hindu. Maybe you are a great Bhakata and visit temples daily. There are many devotees who don’t bother about the distance if they hear about a great temple. So in this post you are going to read about a temple in Kerala every Hindu should visit at least once. It has a rich story about its origin. People leave non- vegetarian food and devotionally take Vrita to visit this temple. They have great stories to tell.

Temples are usually meant to pacify ever waving human minds. Some Hindu philosophers compared the human body to the temple. That means we have to keep our body clean and tidy as we keep temples. The word temple was derived from the Latin word Templum which means a divine place to perform religious activities like prayers. Temples are also called Ambalam, Mandiram or Mandir, Devalaya or Devalayam, Kovil or Koil.

If you ever went to a temple, you know how it feels. We feel a supreme calmness or peace. That’s why most of us visit temples often.

Here we go. It is the temple in Kerala you should visit at least once in your lifetime.

Sabarimala: a Must Visit Temple

If you are an Indian (especially south Indian), chances are great that you heard about this Lord Ayyappa temple. It is the most popular and well- known Hindu temple in Kerala. Even foreigners are visiting Sabarimala every year. It is located in the mountain region of western ghats in Pathanamthitta district and surrounded by woods. That’s why Lord Ayyappa is also called with the name Kanana Vasan (one who lives in the forest).

This Ayyappa temple is not opened every day. It is opened on special occasions like Makarasankranthi (Makara vilakku on January 14), Mandalapooja (between 15 November to December 26). But each year this great pilgrimage spot is visited by people of about 50 million!! It is believed that Sabarimala is the place Ayyappa meditated at last after killing Mahishi, a cruel succubus. Sabarimala is located among 18 hills. The Srikovil (main temple) is situated on top of a hill at a height of about 1535 feet (468 m) above the sea level.

We can identify a Sabarimala pilgrim easily as they will not shave until the visit and most of them wear black dresses. They take Vrita which lasts for weeks (someone takes for months). But the actual recommended period of Vritha or Vritham is 41 days. Vrita includes not to eat old food, non- vegetarian food, not to drink alcohol, not to drink alcohol not engage in sex and nor think evil things. People who take Vrita should only live with only the Lord in their mind. If you do any one of the prohibited things, it is considered as the Vritham is broken and we have to start again. Women at the age between 10- 50 are not allowed to enter the temple because Manikanda was a Brahmachari (bachelor).

Most of the devotees wear pure black dress while visiting the temple. But there is some (especially the native people from Kerala) who wear saffron- coloured dresses. There is a traditional forest path of about sixty- one km. Yet there is also more convenient path till Pamba. Today majority of the pilgrims come by vehicles to reach Pamba and then they climb the hill to visit the temple.

All the pilgrim carry a bag with them called Irumudikkettu in which they carry ghee for Neyyabhisheka, camphor, and such other things. One who visits first should bring an Irumudikkettu of the colour red. There are eighteen steps in- front of the temple which are collectively called Pathinettam Padi.

Every year, may celebrities come here to seek blessings from Lord Ayyappa. See the picture below.

Control and Co- ordination

Thazhimon Madam is the traditional family who take care of the issues about Sabarimala temple. But now the temple is under the control of Devaswam Board in Travancore. Tantri is the head of Pujaris. He is the one who leads all the Pujas that are performed in Sabarimala.

Story of Ayyappa and the History of Sabarimala

Ayyappan has got many names which include Manikandan, Sasthavu, Kaliyugavaradhan, Annadhanaprabhu, Hariharasuthan, and Mahishimardhana.

There was a deadly demon called Mahishasura who was destroying everything on the earth. Devendra (the king of Devas) scared that he might come to Amaravathi (the royal darbar of Indra) and defeat him. So he with all his fellow Devas met Devi and asked for a solution. She told them to be cool and she would find a solution soon. So Devi went near Mahishasura as Durga. By seeing the beauty of Durga, the monster invited her to be his wife. Devi said that she would become his wife only if he could beat her in a battle. Mahishasura accepted the challenge without thinking twice. He had no idea that that was Devi herself. He thought she was a woman so he could defeat her easily. But this was not the story. Both of them started the battle and Mahishasura realized that he was not fighting with an ordinary women. But it was late. Devi defeated and beheaded him easily.

Then came his sister Mahishi with more trouble. Devas became worried. They thought no one could kill her. Because she got a boon by pleasing Lord Brahma (God of creation) by penancing. She asked to be immortal. But God Brahma informed her that it was impossible to give such a boon. So she rethought and asked for a boon. That was no one could kill her except a son of Lord Shiva and Vishnu. Both Shiva and Vishnu are males. So she thought that it is impossible to have a child to both of them. Brahma granted and gave that boon. Then she started the destruction task much more than his brother.

Hence, Devas met Lord Vishnu for the rescue. He said that he would take care of it and let us see where it would go. Devas returned.

It was a time of churning Palazhi. Devas and Demons took part in this churning to get the elixir of life or Amrit. Amrit was responsible for the immortality and evergreen youthfulness of Devas. Many things emerged as a result of churning. Elixir was one among them. Devas were eagerly waiting for this. Once it emerged, a demon caught it and ran away. Desperate Devas realized the real menace behind this. If demons became immortal, they would destroy the whole world. This time Vishnu came to their rescue. Vishnu decided to go to demons’ place as a woman. So he took the shape of a woman. That is called Mohini. Mohini reached their place and saw demons who were fighting each other to get the elixir. Mohini was beautiful. So she grabbed everyone’s attention soon she reached there. Every demon desired to get her. The clever Mohini (Vishnu) told them that she would serve the elixir equally between all of them. Thus, she asked everyone to close their eyes and open their mouth. Within this time, Vishnu flew away with the elixir pot.

By hearing the whole story, Lord Shiva wanted to see that Mohini Avatar of Vishnu. Shiva was also attracted to her beauty. So they had a boy- child. Each of them decided to leave him at a forest so that the childless King of Pandala (Rajasekhara) would get him. They put him in forest and was found by Pandala King as expected. He became very happy and brought the baby home. Queen was also happy to see him as she wanted a child. At the time when the King got the baby, there was a bell (Moni) on his neck. So he was called Monikanda or Manikanda (Ayyappa). He became brilliant in academics and in martial arts.

Then the bad thing happened. The queen became pregnant and gave birth to a boy- child. After that he gave no care to Manikanda and wanted to get rid of him so that all the assets would reach his son. One day, queen and royal Vaidya (doctor) made a secret meeting. Soon queen became ill and bedridden. Vaidya proclaimed that the illness would be cured only with the milk of leopard. As the eldest son, Manikanda was willing to go to the forest. King was very fond of him. So he sent him sadly.

In forest, he met the deadly succubus and killed her after a tight fight. Mahishi was actually a girl from the heaven who was cursed to be like that. The girl got rescue from the curse by Manikanda or Ayyappa. Then she requested him to marry her. But he denied it and said he is a Brahmachari (bachelor) and added that when he became free, he would give her a space to sit beside him. Wwe can see the temple of Malikappuram or Mahishi near that of Ayyappa.

Then he caught a leopard and returned to Pandalam on top of it. Whole people from the kingdom got scared to see this and they praised the bravery of Manikanda. After he reached home, it had been revealed that illness was manipulated. So he requested his father to give him some space to sit and threw an arrow. It went away and spotted at one place. Ayyappa told that he want that space for meditation and rest of his life. That was the place now renowned as Sabarimala.

There was no proofs about when the pilgrimage to Sabarimala was started. After the establishment of the temple, it was remained untouched by human feet for about three centuries. Then a King from later generation found a way to reach the temple. It was after that the temple got renewed.

So don’t forget to visit this incredible temple at least once in your lifetime.

Other Facts

The major Prasada from the temple is Appam and Aravana. Aravana is the characteristic Prasada of Sabarimala.
The main rituals are Neyyabhisheka (immersing the Vigraha in ghee), Palabhisheka (immersing the Vigraha in milk) and Padipuja (Puja of steps).

Thathwamasi is the word which is written in front of the temple which literally means “thou art that”. Thathwamasi was taken from Chandokya Upanishad in Samaveda and was constituted by three words; tha, thwam and asi. The actual meaning of it is “You are the Brahma” (the supreme creator of the universe).

At the end of the day, the temple crosses after the completion of the song, Harivarasanam. The song was written in Sanskrit. At first, this song was composed by Sri Kambangudi Kulathur Srinivasa Iyer. With the effort of Swami Vimochanananda, it became the lullaby of Lord Ayyappa after Athazha Puja. There are many versions and compositions for it. Yet the temple uses the version which was sung by well- known singer Shri. K. J. Yeshudas and composed by Shri. G. Devarajan in Madhyamavathi raga.

Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa (Lord, seeking the refuge on you)

Harivarasanam Lyrics

Harivarasanam Viswamohanam
Haridadhiswaram Aaradhyapadhukam
Arivimardhanam Nithyanarthanam
Hariharatmajam Devamashreye