The Sabarimala Sree Ayyappan Temple is a Hindu temple complex located on the Sabarimala hill inside the Periyar Tiger Reserve, Ranni-Perunad Village, Ranni Taluk, Pathanamthitta district, Kerala, India. Nearest railway station is Chengannur railway station. It 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 dedicated to a Hindu Brahmachari (celibate) deity named Ayyappan also known as Dharma Shasta, who, according to one belief, is the son of Shiva and Vishnu. Sabarimala Temple exemplifies the convergence of diverse religions in India.
The temple is situated on a hilltop amidst eighteen hills at an altitude of 1,260 m (4,134) ft) above the mean sea level and is surrounded by mountains and dense forests. The dense forest, part of the Periyar Tiger Reserve, around the temple is known as Poongavanam. Dense forest of the Periyar tiger reserve around the Sabarimala temple. Temples exist in each of the hills surrounding Sabarimala. While functional and intact temples exist at many places in the surrounding areas like Nilakkal, Kalaketty, and Karimala, remnants of old temples survive to this day on the remaining hills.
In 1991, a PIL was filed, and the Kerala High Court told the Devaswom Board to keep the temple’s customary practices. They also concluded that there is no difference between one group or class of Hindus, and when it comes to entering a temple, the ban only applies to women of a certain age and not to women in general.
On September 28, 2018, the Supreme Court of India, which had a panel of 4 male judges and 1 female judge, ruled by a majority of 4-1 to overturn the ban on women entering the temple. The state of Kerala expressed dissent towards the decision made by the Supreme Court.
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 pilgrimage includes a unique tradition of offering prayer at the mosque of Vavar, a Muslim
devotee of Ayappan.
According to the Bhagavatam, Shiva fell in love with Vishnu while he was in Mohini form. Their connection resulted in the conception of Shasta. As the other name for Shiva is Hara and that of Vishnu is Hari, the child born was also known as Hariharaputra.It is believed that Ayyappa is an avatar 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 are said to be linked to Parasurama, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Sastha temples in Kulathupuzha, Aryankavu, Achankovil, Sabarimala, and Ponnambalmedu are among the five Shasta temples.
Folklore says that the temple in Kulathupuzha is related to the Lord’s childhood years, where he was enshrined as a child. The Aryankavu temple is related to the Lord’s adolescence, the Brahmachari state. The Achankovil temple is connected to the Lord’s Grahastha years, 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 Lord’s Vanaprastha years, and in the Ponnambalmedu or Kantamala temple, the Lord is shown as the greatest Yogi. The Sabarimala temple does not have any ancient or medieval references. Nevertheless, there are extant late medieval references pertaining to the temple.
In 1793, a mortgage document was drafted by the Pandalam ruling family. It states that the royal family is pledging the revenue returns, which encompass the income generated by the Sabarimala Temple, to the Tranvancore state.
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 the reconstruction contract.
In the year 1950, temple was rebuilt after 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 1 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 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 Lord Ayyappan was installed at Sabarimalai and a procession was taken all over Madras state.
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. In 1969, the flagstaff (dhwajastambha) was installed.
Ayyappan’s half-brother Ganesha’s shrine is southwest of the sanctum. Devotees offer part of the broken coconut (Neythenga) to the fireplace (Azhi). Ganapati homam is the main offering.
The 18 sacred steps are the main stairway to the temple. As per the custom followed, no pilgrim without “Irumudikkettu” can ascend the 18 sacred steps. In 1985, the 18 steps were covered by Panchaloha. The northern gate is open for those who do not carry an “Irumudikkettu”, as observed in the Kerala High Court judgement of 1991.
The temples of Lord 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 temple of Maalikapurathamma, whose importance is almost inn par with Lord Ayyappa, is located few yards from Sannidhanam. It is believed that Lord Ayyapan had specific instructions
that he wanted Malikappurath Amma, on his left side. Prior to the fire disaster, there was only a Peeda Prathishta (holy seat) at Malikappuram. The idol of Malikappurath Amma was installed by Brahmasree Kandararu Maheswararu Thanthri. Maalikapurathamma holds a Sankh, Chakram and Varada Abhya Mudra. Now the idol is covered with a gold Golaka. The temple also was reconstructed in the last decade and now the conical roof and sopanam is covered with gold.
It is believed that Maalikapurathamma worshipped as the daughter of Cheerappanchira Panicker who taught Kalaripayattu to Lord Ayyappa.Cheerappanchira, which is situated about 100 km from Sabarimala holds many rights in Sabarimala, such as conducting fireworks at Sabarimala, lighting Nilavilak and ceremonial lamps at the shrine of Malikapurathamma at Sabarimala, collect half the coconuts given by devotees at Malikapurathamma shrine at Sabarimala. There is also a Mukkalvetti Ayyappa temple at Cheerappanchira which hold 3/4 power of Lord Ayyappa and rest in Sabarimala.
Nagaraja Shrine at Sabarimala. The shrine of the Lord of 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 include Pampa Ganapathi temple, Nilakal Mahadeva temple and Palliyara Bhagavathi temple. The Nilakal Mahadeva temple and Palliyara Bhagavathi temple are as old as the Ayyappan temple and the deities are worshiped as the parents of Lord Ayyappa even though Vishnu-Mohini was the legitimate mother, ev. Ganapathi temple at Pampa has Pampa Maha Ganapathi and Athi Ganapathi (lit. old Ganesha) idols, in Sreekovil where the idol from the first Ganesha temple is worshiped. Sabari Peedam has a temple of Rama and Hanuman also.
