This famous temple is known for its annual pilgrimage when thousands of devotees trek up a tough hill route chanting ‘‘Swamiye Saranam (I surrender to the lord)”. The lord is Ayyappa, Kerala’s very own deity. Legend says he was born of the union of Shiva and a female form of Vishnu. The child, Manikanta, was raised by a king, recognised as divine at the age of 12, and had a temple built for him by his king-father. The temple is open to all castes and creeds but women aged between 10 and 50 are not allowed inside.

From 12–14 January, a procession carries Manikanta’s crown, sword and other embellishments from his palace to the shrine. Most pilgrims time their journey to coincide with 14 January, when a (much-debated) celestial light called Makarajyothi is said to appear in the skies. Pilgrims must observe vows of abstinence – 41 days of vegetarianism, celibacy and prayer. Intoxicants are prohibited. The route up the hill lies through dense forests, beautiful landscapes, with moving scenes of faith, but also heavy crowds and policing to avoid stampedes. A remarkable stop is the shrine of Vavar, the Muslim lieutenant to Ayyappa, in Erumeli, whose right of place in Sabarimala was defined in Manikanta’s original plan.

The Legend of Manikanta

Legends prevail about Ayyappa’s identities – 16 in all, including the Buddha. The most commonly accepted story of his parentage is that Shiva, struck by the beauty of Vishnu, asked him to take the female form – and Ayyappa was born of their union. At the same time, in Pandalam, not too far from Sabarimala in western Pathanamthitta, lived a pious, charitable and god-fearing king called Rajasekhara Verma. The king was blessed with every material comfort except an heir to the throne. Resting on the banks of the River Pampa after a royal hunt one afternoon, the king heard the sound of a child crying. He found an abandoned baby with nothing but a golden bell strung on a golden chain around his neck. Bewildered, the king looked about and was encouraged by a wandering sage to take the child home and adopt him as his own. The instructions of the sage were clear and simple – the child was special, would bring him glory, was to be named Manikanta and his parentage was not to be questioned. Legend has it that the sage was Vishnu seeking to ensure the well-being of his offspring.

For 12 years, Manikanta was nurtured as a precious heir. Surpassing his peers in academic and physical prowess, he earned the respect of his instructors. However, akin to Lord Rama, he was asked to fulfill an impossible request by his step mother who begrudged him. Epitomizing true sacrifice and obedience, Manikanta set off on his quest. Being a demi-god, he was successful. When he returned, his father begged him for forgiveness, and Manikanta was merciful, rationalizing that the events that transpired were incidental and necessary for the fulfilment of his divine destiny.

The 12 year old Manikanta was thus recognised as divine and a temple was built in his honour by the king, his father. The exact location where the temple stands today is said to have been marked by Manikanta himself. He is also said to have designed the architectural plan of the temple and determined the pilgrimage route that leads to it as well as the many rules that needed to be followed by devotees before and during the pilgrimage.

The Temple

Police are at hand near the temple to ensure that no stampedes occur when pilgrims ascend the 18 steps that lead to the main shrine. There is no turning back here – one is carried forward and upward by the crowd, up the 18 steps symbolising the 18 elements and transcends them to reach the sanctum where one comes face to face with the deity. Coconuts are broken, ghee is poured over the idol, people chant prayers and the atmosphere is intense.

Despite the growing rush yearly, the difficult terrain and poor sanitary conditions, devotees come here in droves. Special trains have been introduced. State governments run special buses. It has been suggested that entry be restricted through a permit system as the authorities struggle to cope with the crowds. However, unlike other temples across the country, all men are treated as each other’s equal here. Ayappa blesses everyone alike, irrespective of their religion, caste or status.

THE INFORMATION

Location In East Pathanamthitta, a 2.5hr climb from Pampa, where many pilgrimage routes converge. Pampa is 210km from Kochi and 235km from the capital Thiruvananthapuram. The most followed route starts at Erumeli (51km from Pampa) near Kanjirapally in southeast Kottayam

Air Nearest airports: Thiruvananthapuram International Airport and Cochin International Airport

Rail Nearest railhead: Chengannur Railway Station. Bus services from here are available to Pathanmthitta, Erumeli and Pamba. Tiruvalla, Kottayam and Kollam railway stations are also convenient

Bus KSRTC has regular services from Pathanamthitta, Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Kumily. On days when the temple is open for pooja, there are more services from all major towns of Kerala and the neighbouring states

Accommodation At Sannidhanam and Pamba. Tariff ranges from ₹200–2,000.

Contact Sabarimala Accommodation Office (Tel: 04735-202049) for bookings.