South India · Kerala
Sabarimala, Kerala
Sources: wikimedia
Before you go
Open mainly during the Mandala-Makaravilakku season (mid-November to mid-January) and for the first days of each Malayalam month; the ~5 km forest climb from Pamba follows a 41-day vratham. Virtual-queue booking is required.
About Sabarimala
- Forest
- Hills
Where it is
Sabarimala is a hill shrine in Pathanamthitta district of Kerala, deep in the forests of the Periyar Tiger Reserve in the Western Ghats, reached by a steep forest climb from the base at Pamba.
History
The temple is dedicated to Ayyappa, worshipped as Dharma Sastha, and local tradition holds that he grew up as a prince of the Pandalam royal family. The hill takes its name from Shabari, the devotee of Rama in the Ramayana, and the shrine has grown into one of India's largest pilgrimages, whose main season, Mandala-Makaravilakku, runs from mid-November to mid-January.
People
Pilgrims observe a 41-day vow of austerity, dress in black or blue, and carry the irumudi, a two-part bundle of offerings, on their heads, calling one another Swami. They come mainly from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, so Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada and Telugu are all heard on the path.
Known for
- The Ayyappa temple and its eighteen holy steps
- The forest climb from Pamba
- Makaravilakku in mid-January
- The Vavar shrine and Erumeli's Vavar mosque
Did you know?
Pilgrims on the traditional route stop at the Vavar mosque in Erumeli, honouring Vavar, a Muslim companion of Ayyappa who also has a shrine near the steps at Sabarimala.
Shrines and sites
- Sabarimala Sree Dharma Sastha
- Pamba river base
- Erumeli
- Neelimala and Appachimedu on the trek
Traditions
- Hindu
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.