Ayyappa Sharanam. Review on Sabarimala

During my childhood, Sabrimala has always been a matter of great interest as well as a mystery for me for this temple is different --in the fact that there is a severe restriction for the women. Only the women less than 8 years and above 50 years are allowed.

Sabarimala Sree Ayyappa Temple is the most famous and prominent among all the Ayyappa temples. This is one of the most ancient temples in Kerala. The Temple is open only for the first five days of every Malayalam month and during Vishu in April.

Mythology

Raja Rajasekharan was the king of Panthalam, a small place in southern Kerala. He was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva and his queen that of Lord Vishnu. They were childless. They prayed to the Gods for a child.

It was during that time, that Mahishasura was killed and his wife Mahishi took a decision to take revenge against all Devas. She meditated to please Lord Brahma and was granted a boon that no God or a normal human in the Universe could kill her. Now she started harassing the humans and the Devas. The Devas prayed to Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva. During this time Lord Vishnu had taken the form of a Mohini to kill Bhasmasura and happened to appear in front of Lord Shiva. A child of Shiva and Mohini was born and they decided to give the child to Raja Rajasekharan who was praying to both of them for a child. They put a bell around the child's neck and so he was named Manikandan.

The abandoned child was promptly adopted by the king. But after a few years the queen gave birth to a child and feared that her child would not become the king. The minister only helped to aggravate her fear. They thought of a plan to kill the young boy of 12. The queen pretended that she wasn't keeping well and the vaidaya (doctor) declared that only tigress milk will cure her disease. Many a people went to the forest to get tigress milk, but were killed by Mahishi. This is when the young boy decided that he wanted to go. He was actually Ayyappa, born to end the torment of the Mahishi. He killed her and the Gods became tigress to follow him back to the palace. Infact Ayyappa rode a tiger, Lord Indra in disguise.

Ayyappa's work on earth was over and he wanted to leave the earth, but the king wanted to build a temple for him. Ayyappa shot an arrow into the air and it fell on the hills of shabari (shabari mala) and he instructed how he wanted the temple to be. It is said that the idol and the temple was made under the guidance of the mighty Parashuram.

In the meanwhile, the minister fell ill, he has a serious skin disease and he could not be cured. One night, he saw a dream: Ayyappa asked him to visit his temple after taking a bath in river Pampa that flows at the foot of the hill. The minister did just that... as he came out of the river, he was perfectly ok. No trace of the disease at all. Now he was in all awe for Ayyappa and with complete devotion, climbed the 18 steps crying out Swami Saranam Ayyappa.

It is said that this is how the tradition of taking a bath in Pamapa and chanting the lines Swami Saranam Ayyappa originated. The Pampa river is as holy as the ganges and is said to purify one from curse and evil.

18 Steps

The holy steps in the front side leading to the the main temple is very important and has an important significance. Only the pilgrims with Irumudi kettu (a small cloth parcel containing rice, coconut filled with ghee or vegetable fat , sacred ash , Kumkum etc.) are permitted to ascend the Holy steps. Entry to the temple for all others is through the steps on the northern side. The meaning of the sacred steps is as follows:-

• The first 5 steps represents the 5 senses.

  
  




• The next 8 steps represents the 8 Ashtaragas (love, anger, avarice, lust, pride, unhealthy competition, jealousy and boast fulness).

  
  




• The next 3 steps represents the 3 Gunas (nature-born qualities). They are Satv (perspicuity, discernment) , Rajas (activity, enjoyment) and Thamas (inactivity, stupor).

  
  




• The last two steps represents Vidya (knowledge) and Avidya (ignorance).

  
  

It is believed that, those who detach themselves from all these worldly pleasure, can see the Lord Ayyappa in real sense. It is considered that after climbing up these eighteen steps one symbolically detaches oneself from all the worldly ties that bind one physically and mentally to the world.

This is the main reason why one has to follow 18 observances for a period of 41 days before going to Sabrimala.

18 observances (vrutham)

The vrutham starts from the day of wearing of garland with the locket of Lord Ayyappa. The mala is to be accepted from a temple Priest or Guruswami. The things to be followed for the vrutham are:

• wearing a mala of rudraksha or tulsi beads

  
  




• having only vegetarian diet

  
  




• no sexual relationship

  
  




• keeping away from women of child-bearing age

  
  




• no smoking or drinking

  
  




• cold water bath twice a day

  
  




• no shaving or haircuts

  
  




• sleeping on a mat without a pillow

  
  




• visiting a temple regularly to offer worship to God

  
  




• wearing a black veshti

  
  




• wearing sandalwood paste and kumkum daily

  
  




• eating one meal a day

  
  




• walking barefoot

  
  




• maintaining a temple composure

  
  




• addressing all other pilgrims as Ayyappa’ or swami

  
  




• no lying, stealing or cheating

  
  




• no entertainment

  
  




• think of the Lord and sing his praises

  
  

Note: Not all these 18 vrutham pointers can be followed now, walking bare foot, keeping away from entertainment, and may be a couple more are not followed strictly these days (it is not possible to).

After wearing the Mala the devotee is called as Ayyappan or Swami till the completion of his pilgrimage and removal of Mala thereafter. The females eligible to go to the temple (aged between 1 and 9 and above 50 years) are called as Malikapuram, Shakti of Lord Ayyappa. The journey to Sabarimala must be done with a Guruswami who has to lead a group. Each person has to carry an Irumudi. The irumudi is made just before embarking on the journey and is to be carried by the pilgrim on his head throughout the trip. The common offering to the Lord is ghee filled coconut. The hard shell of the coconut signifies how stubborn are our desires for worldly life, the sweet fruit inside signifies how serene is our heart and filling it with pure ghee signifies our true love for the God.

On the day of Makarajyothi, the Jewel Casket is carried on head from the ancestral residence of the royal family of Panthalam to the Shrine. A Garuda hovering about in the sky, follows this ornaments carrying procession. After these ornaments are adorned on the Lord the bird circles the temple in the sky three times and disappears. The devotees begin to chant 'Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa' and during that time all the attention is targetted towards the sky to see a star, Uthram Nakshathra never seen before in the sky. It appears only on the day of Makarajyothi. After this a light called the Jyothi is seen for a little time on the hilltop. The devotees presume that it is the divine presence of Swamy Ayyappan gracing his devotees on this auspicious day!

The Malayalam channels have a live telecast of the activities at Sabrimala. Want to check it? It should be sometime on the 14th of Jan!

Swami Sharanam Ayyappa May God Bless you all!

The information on the holy steps and the Jewel Casket is referred from: https://sabarigiri.org/