Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple
सबरीमाला अय्यप्पा मंदिर
📍 Sabarimala, Pathanamthitta, Kerala
🛕 Online darshan inside this temple: coming soon
In the forests of the Periyar Tiger Reserve, Sabarimala is the hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa. Millions of devotees climb to it each season after a 41-day vow, chanting 'Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa'.
पेरियार के वनों से घिरी पहाड़ी पर स्वामी अय्यप्पा का धाम — जहाँ 41 दिन के व्रत के बाद हर वर्ष लाखों भक्त ‘स्वामीये शरणम् अय्यप्पा’ गाते हुए पहुँचते हैं।
इतिहास History
Tradition holds that Parashurama installed the deity, but the written record begins late: a Pandalam royal deed of 1793 mentions the temple's income, and an 1818 survey found 10,000 to 15,000 pilgrims at its January festival. The shrine was restored after a fire in 1902.
After an arson attack in 1950 the temple was rebuilt, and the old stone image was replaced by the present panchaloha (five-metal) idol. The eighteen holy steps were clad in panchaloha in 1985. The Travancore Devaswom Board runs the temple, with the Thazhamon Madom family as its hereditary tantris.
कथा The legend
The demoness Mahishi held a boon that only a son of Shiva and Vishnu could kill her. That son, born of Shiva and Vishnu's Mohini form, was found as a baby on the banks of the Pamba by King Rajashekhara of Pandalam, who named him Manikandan. At twelve he went into the forest to fetch tiger's milk for the queen, slew Mahishi and came home leading tigers. Then he shot an arrow that fell on Sabarimala, and there he took his seat in yogic posture as an eternal brahmachari.
दर्शनीय Don’t miss
- The Pathinettampadi, eighteen holy steps that only pilgrims carrying the irumudi may climb
- Neyyabhishekam, ghee from the pilgrims' irumudi poured over the deity
- The shrines of Malikappurathamma and Kannimoola Ganapathy
- Harivarasanam, the lullaby sung as the temple closes each night
- Aravana payasam and appam prasadam
- The old forest path from Erumeli, where pilgrims also honour Vavar, Ayyappa's Muslim companion
उत्सव Festivals
मंदिर दर्शन Temple story
The secrets of Sabarimala Ayyappa, from our YouTube series.
▶ Watch all 30 Temple Stories on YouTubePhoto: Vinayaraj · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons