SABARIMALA PILIGRIMAGE SEASON

AUM SRI SAI RAM AUM SRI SAI RAM AUM SRI SAI RAM

                                                                 Sabarimala temple has reopened on 16 th Nov. 2010 for this year's Mandala and Makara Vilakku Poojas.Mandala pooja is on 27 th Dec and  Makara Vilalakku is on
!4 th Jan. 2011.The Mandala pooja season of 41 days attracts lakhs of devotees  to this hill shrine  for darshan of Lord Ayyappa.The Mandala Piligrim season starts on the first day of Malayalam month Virchikam and lasts for 41 days.Then temple is closed for a day and afterwards reopens for Makaravilakku pooja.This ancient Ayyappa temple remains closed for major portion  of the year.The temple opens and conducts pooja onTHE FIRST DAYof every Malayalam month and remains opened for special festivals such as Vishu and Onam etc;
                                                                  Ayyappa Devotees wear Mudra Mala on the first day of Malyalam Month Virchikam and enter into a virtham (austerity measures) for a span of 41 days.There is no distinction of caste or creed and people of all faiths can go to this temple. This is a uniqe feature of this themple, never found in any of the Hindu temples.But women between the age of 10 and 50 are not allowed to enter the temple.Irumudi Kettu, a bundle of cloth with two compartments with varios offerings to God such as coconut filled with ghee,malar rice etc is a must for  entering the eighteen steps  to have darshan of Ayyappa.Usual Manthra to recite during the season is SWAMIYA SARANAM AYYAPPA.Moola manthra of Ayyappa is OM KRUM NAMA PARAYA GOPTHRA.and Ayyappa Gayathri is  OM  BOOTHA NATHAYA VIDMAHA ,MAHASASTHAYA DEEMAHI,THANNO AYYAPPA PROCHOTHAYATH

SWAMIYA SARANAM AYYAPPA,SWAMIYA SARANAM AYYAPPA