Mandalam Musings Day 40- Pilgrimage to Sabarimala Sannidhanam-

Mandalam Musings Day 40-

Pilgrimage to Sabarimala Sannidhanam-

The forty-one day’s Vratham culminates in the pilgrimage to Sabarimala Sannidhanam. Some people continue with the austerities a few more days as they want to have a Darshan of the Lord on Makara Sankranthi day which is an auspicious day spiritually and astronomically. Makara Sankranthi marks the first day of the sun's move into Makara Rashi and it is observed each year, mid-January. On that day, devotees see a star in the sky and observe a Jyothi (source of light) at the top of the hill, Ponnambalamedu where the tribal people light several lamps together to propitiate their deity who is protecting their forest, which is surrounded by eighteen mountains.

Common people, who have taken up the Mandala Vratham live a life of self-sacrifice before the pilgrimage.  The pilgrim, with the help of a Guru Swamy (usually a senior Ayyappa devotee). A special bag made of black cotton with two distinct packs is prepared for the journey. It is called Irumudikkettu or Pallikkettu. One pack in the bag is for the materials for use of the devotee on the way and the other pack for materials to be submitted at the temple. Symbolically, one is the bundle of Punyas (virtues) and the other is the bundle of Papas (sins). Both are to be discarded at the Sannidhanam. The seeker needs to shed all such bondages to have a Darshan of Lord Ayyappa within and without.

A well-ripened coconut is cleaned and emptied of its water, and then dried to fill pure ghee in it is prepared as the main offering at the temple. With the Guru Swamy’s help, the devotee fills ghee in the coconut while chanting mantras and the famous slogan Swamiye Saranamayyappa – (My Lord, you are the only refuge I have). The coconut gets sealed and it would be opened only at the Sabarimala Sannidhanam. This is for the symbolic submission of our ego. The hard shell of the coconut represents the body and the ghee inside, the ego. The idea is to break open the coconut in front of the deity thus symbolizing the renunciation of the body and then submitting the ego which is beyond the body and mind. 

Arrangements for the pilgrimage have undergone many changes as time passed by. In the old days, people used to walk hundreds of miles to reach the foothills of the Sabarimala. But nowadays there are vehicles that would take the pilgrims to the Pampa river ghats, where they take a ritualistic bath before starting to climb up the hill.  On the way to Pampa, most people pass by Erumeli where they worship in the Dharma Sastha Temple, and in a large Mosque known as Vavar Palli.  In some traditions, groups of devotees in large numbers adorn tribal costumes and dance freely symbolizing the victory celebration of Swamy Ayyappa winning over Mahishi.

Before climbing up the Sabarimala hills through the tough terrain, devotees will be worshipping at the Ganapathy temple at Pampa seeking the blessings of Lord Ganesha to complete the pilgrimage without any obstacles. It takes about three hours of a strenuous walk up the hill to reach the temple abode, Sannidhanam. There we see hundreds of thousands of devotees waiting patiently to get a Darshan of Lord Ayyappa and at the end of a long waiting area, we see the 18 golden steps, and above those steps, we read “That Tvam Asi’- You are that!  Yes, we have reached the destination.