 Sabarimala, an important
pilgrimage sight of South India is placed atop the rugged hills
of the Western Ghats. It is situated 914 m above the sea level and
devotees from India and abroad frequently travels to severity and
reenactment of penance. Sabarimala pilgrimage tours comprise of
elongated hill treks with blobs of rudraksha dangling on neck Sabarimala
is the imperative Hindu temples of Kerala where pilgrims irrespective
of caste, creed, color, wear black dhotis and carry on bundles on
their heads, followed by traditional offerings as coconut filled
with ghee, camphor, and rice.
Women above the age of 50, men and girls below the age of 10 are
permissible to go for Sabarimala pilgrimage tours The Mandal Puja
and the Makara Sankranti Puja are the two festivals celebrated from
November to Middle of January. The temple arena is covered with
gold and the devotees break the coconuts before climbing the final
18 steps. It is not easy for everyone to make their tour to Sabarimala
as one need to observe strict discipline like abstinence from alcohol,
smoking and other comforts of life.
Main Pilgrimage Attraction of Sabarimala
Sabarimala Temple: The temple Sabarimala is dedicated
to Lord Ayyappa and named after Sabari. Lord Ayyappa is better known
as Dharma Shasta and some academics misinterpreted this to Lord
Buddha. The attracting feature of Sabarimala temple tours is that
the devotees have to walk past a nature trail in the dense forests
of Western Ghats. The chief deity of Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa-is
regarded to be a union of Shiva and Vishnu. Lord Ayyappa is seen
as a merging center of the Shaivite and Vaishnavite branches of
Hinduism.
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The majority of the pilgrims of Sabarimala are men who need to
do hard and dedicated labor to make their trip to the temple premises.
A fast for forty-one days, celibacy, increasing of body hair and
daily prayer rituals are part of the preparation for the Sabarimala
pilgrimage in Kerala. Young girls are not allowed to enter in Sabarimala
temple because then the Lord sits in a meditative and clean state
on Mount Sabari. After taking a holy bathe in the river, the devotees
needs to proceed further to trek to the hilltop temple. When dusk
falls, a majestic aroma occurs in a distance between two hills just
reverse the temple. The temple appears breathing with extol of the
Lord filling the air. Everyone reaching the Sabarimala temple is
a devotee of the Lord, not Hindu, Muslim or Christian. So it sets
an ideal example of harmonious co-existence of dissimilar beliefs
and sects.