Mandalam Musings Day 10 - Rituals for the Mandala Vratham

 

Mandalam Musings Day 10

Rituals for the Mandala Vratham

So, during the Ayyappa Mandala Vratham, that is for 41 days, we try to prepare our lifestyle to develop good habits that are productive and noble to pursue. Good habits lead to good character, and good character determines our fate. That means, our fate is our own making. During this Vratham, we need to ensure the purity of body, mind, and spirit - prerequisites for any devotional effort.

Mandala Vratham is an entry point for many people to embark on a spiritual journey they never knew before. Millions of people take to a life of austerities during the Mandalam season and refrain from ego-centric activities that are conducive to more and more mental agitations. Devotees try to pursue the simple life of a mendicant, trying to maintain external and internal peace and purity. It is not easy in the beginning; but as the days pass, they find it manageable and after a while, the simple lifestyle becomes enjoyable to most people. Mental peace brings about joy in life and naturally, relationships become cordial. Enmities give way to friendliness and cooperation.

As part of the acharam, related to Sabarimala pilgrimage, before embarking on the 41-day austere life, the devotee takes permission ritualistically from his parents, and seek the guidance of a senior Ayyappa devotee who has done the pilgrimage many times before. An Ayyappa devotee who has done the pilgrimage 18 times is a qualified Guruswami.  He also seeks permission from the family deity and elders. Usually, he takes this as an opportunity to settle the differences he has with friends, relatives, and neighbours.

He wears a mala made of beads as a symbol of having committed to the 41 days Vratham. Henceforth, he is an Ayyappa and usually addressed as Swamy or Ayyappan. Whenever the devotee feels that he is wavering from the strict regime of the Varatham such as celibacy, vegetarianism, etc., he seeks help from the Guruswamy to bring him back to the path of austerity. Devotional discourses, singing, chanting, and meditation sessions are held regularly to keep the devotees in the path of Vratham.

Even in the offices and workplaces with a strict hierarchy, people behave as if they are true brothers with the same goal in life – not just to live and let live, but to pursue higher purposes in life. If the Ayyappa- Mandalam season brings about noble habits in one’s life, our guru lineage’s efforts have found fruition. In Kerala, the crime rate goes down significantly during the Mandalam period, and the consumption of alcohol reduces amongst the people getting ready for the Sabarimala pilgrimage. The “Ayyappa effect” is quite palpable throughout India - especially in South India. Mandalam season is also a great opportunity for commercial activities related to the pilgrimage. Several millions of people take up the pilgrimage and the Kerala economy depends on it.