Sabarimala Ayyappa temple in India:

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Ayyappan Ayyappan, is a much revered South Indian deity. Lord Ayyappan is worshipped in a number of shrines across India: at Kulathupuzha, in Kerala, he is worshipped as a child; at Achenkovil in conjunction with his consorts, Pushkala and Poorna; and at Sabarimala as an ascetic, a celibate meditating in solitude for the benefit of all mankind. The word Ayyappa is derived from two words Ayya - meaning Vishnu and Appa - meaning Shiva.

The Sabarimala Ayyappa temple preaches the principle of Tat Tvam Asi. The temple is unique in all India, in that there is no distinction of caste or religion in determining who can enter it. Non-Hindus are equally welcome.

It might be more instructive to talk about the mythic origins of Ayyapan first, before we explore the history, as the mythic story always has a deeper resonance as well as more significant spiritual truth in India.

Every year according to the government statistics, at least fifty million devotees come to visit Ayyappan in Sabarimala and it provides ten thousand crores of rupees to the state.

Background

The asura princess Mahishi was burning up with anger at the dirty trick the gods had pulled on her brother, the asura king Mahishasura. As Mahishasura was blessed with invulnerability to all men, the gods had sent goddess Durga, to fight and kill him. Thus, Mahishi began performing a fearsome set of austerities, and pleased the creator god Brahma.

He granted her the boon of ruling the universe and being invulnerable except to a being that had the combined strength of both Shiva and Vishnu. Since such a person did not exist, she thought she was safe and began conquered and plundered the world.

The gods implored Shiva and Vishnu to save them from this catastrophe. Vishnu found a possible solution to the problem.

When Vishnu had taken on the Kurma Avatar, he also had to manifest himself as Mohini, the enchantress, to save the nectar of immortality from the demons who were not willing to share it with the gods.

If he became Mohini again, then the female Mohini and the male Shiva could have the divine child who would combine their powers and beat Mahishi.

Early Childhood Manikantan entered the forest to fulfil his divine duty, to rid the world of demoness Mahishi. Manikantan killed her and released a beautiful woman who had been cursed to become Mahishi. The young woman asked Ayyappan for his hand in marriage, but he declined, being a celibate.

However he promised that she would be visited by pilgrims and would be housed next to his temple, and if the number of new pilgrims visiting him stopped, then he would marry her. Hence she is now worshipped as Maalikapurathamma. There is also another version of this story. It is believed that Maalikapurathamma was a young girl in Cheerappanchira family where Ayyappan was trained for Kalari (martial arts).

On the death of Mahishi, Indra - the king of the gods, who was displaced and banished by Mahishi, led several tigers for the disposal of Ayyappan.

Days later Manikantan entered the palace precincts riding a fierce tigress and followed by a pack of her cubs. The schemers were frightened into confessing their plot. They were convinced of his divine origins, and prayed to him to be with them for their own salvation and for the safety of the kingdom. Immediately Manikantan disappeared. The king would not eat anything if Manikantan did not come back. Then Manikantan gave a vision (Darshan) to the king.

Filled with emotions of happiness, grief, fear, wonder and ‘Bhakti’ (devotion to God) and self-surrender, the king stood praying for the mercy and blessings of Manikantan. He repented he could not fully visualize the truth of the divine powers of the Lord and repeatedly requested Him to forgive him for behaving as if He were his son only.

The Lord lovingly embraced the King who prayed to bless him by freeing from ego and the worldly life of birth and rebirth and grant Moksha (salvation). He told the King that he was destined to return. The king implored Lord Manikantan to allow him to build a temple and dedicate it him and the Lord assented.

Manikantan then enlightened the King on the path of attainment of Moksha. The Lord shot an arrow that fell at the top of Sbrimala and told the King that he could construct a temple at Sabarimala, north of the holy river Pampa and install His deity there. Ayyappan also explained how the Sabarimala pilgrimage shall be undertaken, emphasizing the importance of Penance vratham and what the devotees can attain by His ‘darshan.’

But before the departure of the Lord, the King secured a promise from the Lord that on His birthday on January 14, every year, (celebrated as ‘Makara Jyothy’ all his personal jewellery (usually kept at the Palace) will be adorned on His image at Sabarimala.

Hence on the 12th of January every year, the Jewellery will be taken on foot from the Palace by a special emissary of the kingdom, after the puja with all pomp, devotion and reverence. Immediately when the Arti is over, Royal Garuda (Eagle) flies over the Palace, (which seems to be quite automatic).

The Royal Garuda flies ahead, and appears guide the pilgrims throughout their journey. Since there was no modern means of communication like Telephone or Mobile, to the hundreds of thousands of Devotees desirous of worshipping Lord Manikantan’s Jewels enroute to His Abode, this Garuda was the sole and absolute signal of advance information even to the Temple authorities at Sabarimala to get ready for the adorning of the Jewels.

This journey on the 12th and 13th of January finally reaches Sabarimala on January 14th. Immediately after the jewellery is adorned on the Deity, there is an Aarti (offering by burning Camphor). The miracle is that just after the Arti, without loss a second, the Jyothy appears on the east side of the Temple up above the Hills (details are given hereunder).

But then the Lord further consoled the King saying that the devotees who held him and his descendants in ‘Bhakti’ shall happen to be devoted to Him as well. Manikantan then blessed the King and all others assembled there, and vanished. The King duly constructed the temple at Sabarimala, dedicated to him. The deity for installation was prepared by Parasurama, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, and was installed by himself.

Prasadam

A strong liking for sweets is a common factor of all Hindu Gods and Ayyappa is no exception. Appam and Aravana (Payasam made of rice, ghee and jaggery) are the prasadams of the Lord. There is an interesting story behind these prasadams also. The Raja of Pandalam admitted Ayyappa to a famous Kalari (gymnasium where traditional martial arts of Kalaripayattu is taught) at Cheerappanchira in Cherthala in Alappuzha district.

The young daughter, Leela, of Kalari Panicker fell in love with Ayyappa. But Ayyappa was so involved in his studies that he didn’t notice the girl’s infatuation. It’s also believed that she later became Maalikapurathamma who was dejected when Lord Ayyappa refused her marriage proposal, after offering her a seat in Saram kuthi near Sabarimala Devasthanam.

Soon the girl started bringing him food to capture his attention. Time passed by and the girl reached her puberty. And her family, following the Hindu tradition, prepared special cuisines to celebrate the occasion.

One mandatory item on the menu is Rthumathikanji (porridge made using rice and five times the quantity of jaggery). On that day she took this porridge to Ayyappa, who was practising payattu in the Kalari. He liked it very much and requested the girl to bring only the porridge everyday. It is believed that the practice of offering Aravana as prasadam to the God was born from this incident.

There are various lores connected with Lord Ayyappan. These relate to discovery of the child at Pampa, Manikantan’s youthful days in the Pandalam palace, bestowing the power of hearing and speaking upon the deaf and dumb son of His teacher as Guru-dakshina, His friendship with Vavar (a Muslim), bringing the tiger’s milk, accomplishing His divinely destined mission of annihilation of the demoness Mahishi, eliminating the forest-thug Udayanan, bestowing immortality on Sabari and blessing His foster-father with immortality.

Manikantan was the incarnation of Lord Dharmasastha. Raja Rajasekhara was in his previous birth a rich and pious ‘Brahmin’ by name Vijayan who was a very strong believer and devotee of Lord Dharmasastha. Such was Vijayan’s ‘bhakti’ towards the Lord that He blessed the Brahmin by granting his wish to be born as his son in his next birth when the Lord would offer him ‘moksha’.

Pilgrimage

The Pandala Raja constructed a small temple, 18 steps above the ground as instructed by the lord himself.

Each of these eighteen holy steps represents a desire one must conquer in life. The 18 steps and the temple have in recent times been coated in gold. The vigraham (idol) is also coated in gold, and was inaugurated by Parashurama (incarnation of Vinshnu).

The common cry heard during the pilgrimages to his shrine is “Swamiye Sharanam Ayyappa!” (Oh Swami, we take refuge in you”).

In Makarasankranti, every year without fail, miraculous events occur. Firstly at the jewels (Thiruvaabaranam) of the Lord are transported from the Old Pandalam Palace to Sabarimala, a Krishnaparanth (holy Garud circle above the precious jewels (in fact guarding them), like a protector.

This rare eagle is rarely seen in the midst of people for a long period of time, yet the auspicious bird follows the Thiruvaabaranam procession, finally circling above Sanithanam at Sabarimala nine times as it pays its respects to Lord Ayyappan. During this time, there is not a single star in the sky except for a special Nakshatram. As the beautiful jewels are placed on the golden body of the Lord within the temple, the several hundred thousand devotees outside, crammed into any available free space, chant “Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa.”

When the jewels are finally all adorned on the Lord, the Nakshatram in the sky miraculously disappears, as all the Devas and Celestial beings leave the sky to get a glimpse of the Lord in all his splendour. Within moments of the Lord being adorned with the Thiruvaabaranam, an effulgence (Divya Jyoti) appears in the opposite hills of Shabarimala, appearing 3 times.

This hill is called Ponnambalamedu. It is believed that the Lord himself appears in the form of that Divya Jyoti. It is firmly believed that Lord Indra himself lights the divine effulgence.

The entire hillside reverberates with the chant “Swamiye Sharanam Ayyappa” as the devotees witness this auspicious Darshan, as the Devas and celestial Rishis arrive at Sabarimala to participate in birthday celebrations of Ayyappan effulgence.

These auspicious sights are different forms of the Lord Himself appearing. The devotees then climb the 18 holy gold steps to arrive at the sanidhanam where they finally get a glimpse of the Lord as Himself, in all beauty, Manikanta Shri Dharmasastha, adorned with jewels. It is believed that if one witnesses these events after having undertaken 41 days of severe austerities (Vratham), one can attaub Moksha.

During the period of vrutham, Devotees are expected to undergo practices of simple living, and absolute cleanliness. The mind and body are to be kept impeccably pure and absolute celibacy is practised. The devotee is expected to behave in an austere and sober fashion during his vrutham. Total abstinence from all vices like alcohol, tobacco and non-vegetarian food is stipulated. Personal adornments, hair cutting, shaving, etc. are also taboo.

The devotee is expected wear black/blue/saffron clothes. The devotee is expected to pray daily in the mornings and evenings after bathing. The prayer ritual may be performed by going to any temple or in one’s own pooja room. Those devotees who are desirous of worshipping Lord Ayyappa on ‘Makara Vilakku’ day, January 14th, (this year, 2008, it is on January 15th), may continue their vrutham till that day. The vrutham continues till the pilgrim returns from his pilgrimage to Sabarimala and removes his ‘mala’ after breaking a coconut and offering prayers.

The Guru (called as Guruswamy or Periyaswamy) it is said that chanting the name of the Guru is equivalent to chanting the name of Lord Shiva, Guru’s abode is Kashi Kshetram and water used to wash Guru’s feet it Ganga.

The role of the Guru is significant in the Ayyappa cult. The Guruswamy is usually an elderly person who has undertaken pilgrimage to Sabarimala not less than eighteen times and has travelled by the traditional long route and had darshan of Makara Jothi. The devotees treat the Guruswamy as Ayyappan himself. .

Compiled by Aruna Ponnambalan