SABARIMALA- IMPORTANCE of 18 Divine Steps

Sabarimala - Temple Details : 

Sabarimala is the most famous Hindu pilgrimage centre in Kerala and India. At a distance of 63 Kms from Pathanamthitta, this temple is dedicated to Lord Ayyappa. It is one of the most visited pilgrim centers in the world with an estimated 45 - 50 million devotees every year.

At a distance of 146 Kms from Kochi and 159 Kms from Trivandrum, this temple is one of the oldest temples in India, with history of more than 5000 years old. The temple dedicated to Lord Ayyappan here is situated in the midst of 18 hills, at an altitude of about 3000 feet. It is believed that Lord Parasurama installed the idol of Ayyappa at Sabarimala.

The pilgrimage season begins in the month of November and ends in January (the temple remains closed during rest of the year except for the first five days of each Malayalam month). The devotees following Ayyappa Vratam (Ayyappa Maala - a 41 days Vratam with strict restrictions) carry Irumudi Kettu containing traditional offerings to the Lord. Mandalapooja (Nov17th) and Makaravilakku (Jan 14th) are the important events of the temple. Makara Jyothi (a celestial star) appeared on Jan 14th is the most crowded occasion of this temple.

Sabarimala temple has no restrictions of caste and religion. The temple is open to males of all age groups, but women between 10-50 years age group are NOT allowed into the temple. Sabarimala can be reached by 8 KMs trek from Pamba, which is the nearest road point to the temple.

Importance of Sabarimala Divine 18 Steps

SABARIMALA- Importance of 18 Divine Steps are called as  Pathinettapadi (18 divine steps) to the sanctum sanctorium is divine in all aspects. The first three steps depict "Bhoomi, Agni, Vayoo & Akash", 6 to 9 steps for Karmendriya, 10 to 15 for Jhanandriya, 16th for mind 17th Intelligence and 18th Jeevathma Bhava.

Those who cross all these steps are believed to achieve "Punyadarshan". The steep steps are so important and holy that no one can climb them without fasting for 41 days and carrying the holy irrumudi on ones' head.There are many mythological stories associated with the holy Patinettampadi. Some believe the eighteen steps denote the 18 puranas. Some say that 18 weapons with which Lord Ayyappa destroyed the evil denotes the 18 steps. Others are of the belief that the first five steps denotes the indriyas (eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin).

The next eight steps signifies the ragas (tatwa, kama, krodha, moha, lobha, madha, matsraya, and ahamkara. The next three steps signifies the gunas (satwa, rajas and thamas). The seventeenth and the eighteenth denotes vidhya and ignorance.

The Patinettampadi can be used only twice - once for ascending the temple and once for descending below leaving the hill. Before ascending or descending the steps, pilgrims break coconut as an offering to the steps. One needs to have the sacre Irumudi on head while going up or down the 18 steps. While descending the steps the devotees climb down backwards facing the sanctum sanctorum.

One who climbs the Patinettampadi for 18 times shall plant a sapling of coconut in Sabarimala.

Built on a plateau about 40 feet high, the Ayyappan temple commands a lofty view of the mountains and valleys all around. The ancient temple has been rebuilt after a fire in 1950. Within the confines of the sanctum sanctorium with a copper-plated roof and four golden finials at the top, two mandapams, the belikalpura which houses the altar, the flag-staff replacing the earlier stone image of the deity, sits a beautiful idol of Ayyappa in panchaloha, an alloy of five metals, about one and a half feet tall.

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Swamiyee Saranam Ayyappan Mantra 108

Ayyappan --

The name derived from two different Powerful Gods (words ) Ayyan and Appan (Lord shiva and Lord Vishnu). Sabarimala located in Kerela State of India, has got its name and fame by this God. Here temple opened for 3 to 4 months in a year.
During the season of Makara jyothi or Makara Vilakku millions of piligrims came to see the God and a small holly light displays under the mountain. Every body wishes to see the great God REBIRTH.

Listen to Swamiyee Saranam Ayyappa mantra for peace, power and serinity in your life..
Samiye Saranam Ayyappa 108- Harivarasanam by(K.J.yesudas)


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Ayyappa Sabarimala Temple Time Table -2011

Ayyappa Sabarimala Temple Time Table -2011.
Book the tickets according to it.

OPENING AND CLOSING DAYS OF SABARIMALA TEMPLE 2010-2011

Pooja	Opening date	Closing Date
Mandala Pooja Maholsavam	16.11.2010	27.12.2010 (Mandala Pooja  27.12.2010 Afternoon)
Makaravilaku festival	30.12.2010	20.01.2011
Makaravilakku Day	14.01.2011
Monthly  pooja (Kubham)	12.02.2011	17.02.2011
Monthly  pooja (Meenam)	14.03.2011	19.03.2011
Kodiyettu Ulsavam	09.03.2011	19.03.2011
Kodiyettu	10.03.2011
Painkuni Uthram&Arattu	19.03.2011
Medavishu Festival	10.04.2011	18.04.2011
Medavishu	15.04.2011
Monthly Pooja(Edavam)	14.05.2011	19.05.2011
Idol Installation Day	10.06.2011	11.06.2011
Monthly pooja(Midhunam)	15.06.2011	20.06.2011
Monthly Pooja(karkadakam)	16.07.2011	21.07.2011
Monthly Pooja(chingam)	16.08.2011	21.08.2011
Onam	07.09.2011	11.09.2011
Monthly Pooja(kanni)	16.09.2011	21.09.2011
Monthly Pooja(thulam)	17.10.2011	22.10.2011
Chithira attavishesham	25.10.2011	26.10.2011
Mandalapooja	16.11.2011	27.12.2011
Mandalapooja	27.12.2011
Makaravikaku Festival	30.12.2011	20.01.2012
makaravilaku	15.01.2012

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Sabarimala Ayyappan Importance of the place

Sabarimala Sree Ayyappa Temple is one of the most ancient and prominent Sastha temples in the country. Located in the Western Ghat mountain ranges of Pathanamthitta district in Kerala, Sabarimala Sri Dharmasastha Temple is one of the few Hindu temples in India that is open to all faiths. The shrine of Sabarimala is one of the most remote shrines in southern India yet it still draws three to four million pilgrims each year. Surrounded by mountains and dense forest Sabarimala is believed to be the place where Ayyappan meditated. Perhaps the best known pilgrimage destination in Kerala is Sabarimala. Sabarimala Sri Dharmasastha Temple is the most famous and prominent among all the Sastha Temples. It is believed that "Parasurama Maharshi" who retrieved Kerala from the sea by throwing his axe, installed the idol of Ayyappa at Sabarimala to worship Lord Ayyappa.



The pilgrimage begins in the month of November and ends in January. The temple attracts pilgrims not only from the southern states of India, but also from other parts of the country and abroad. The shrine gets thronged with devotees especially during the main pilgrim season from November to January. Mandala pooja (November16,2009) and Makaravilakku(Jan.14th) are the two main events of the pilgrim season. The temple stays closed during the rest of the year except for the first five days of every Malayalam month and during Vishu (April).


Certain customs are to be strictly observed if one has to undertake a pilgrimage to Sabarimala. A pilgrim attending the Mandalapooja should observe austerities for 41 days. During this period, the pilgrim should abstain himself from non vegetarian food and carnal pleasures. Pilgrims set out in groups under a leader, and each carry a cloth bundle called Irumudi kettu containing traditional offerings. Unlike certain Hindu temples, Sabarimala temple has no restrictions of caste or creed. The temple is open to males of all age groups and to women who have either passed their fertility age and those before reaching the stage of puberty. The easiest route is via Chalakkayam, by which one can reach the banks of the river Pamba by vehicle. Pamba is the main halting point on the way to Sabarimala. From here one has to trek 4 to 5 kms to reach the temple.
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Know the Details Sri Anantha Padmanabha Swamy Temple

Sri Anantha Padmanabha Swamy Temple.
Temple Name: Sri Anantha Padmanabha Swamy Kshetram.
Renovated In: 1733 AD.
Alias Name: AnantaPuri.
God Name: Sri Anantha PadmanabhaSwamy.
Goddess Name: Sri Hari Lakshmi Thayaar.
Dedicated To: Lord Vishnu.
Pushkarni: Matsya Theertham alias Padma Theertham.
Vimanam: Hemakoota Vimanam.
Renovated By: Raja Marthanda Varma.
Location: Trivandrum(Kerala).
State: Kerala.
Country:India.

Only Hindus are allowed inside the temple.Inside the temple dress regulations are strictly enforced.
The Temple Open:
(04.15-05.15hrs,06.45-07.30hrs,08.30-10.30hrs,11.30-11.45hrs,17.15-19.30hrs).
Dress Code:
Men – Dhoti.
Women – Saree and Blouse.
Temple Location:
It is found 3/4 miles away from the Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station. (inside the East Fort).

The history of the temple dates back to the 8th Century CE, when Thiruvananthapuram was ruled by the Chera Dynasty. The Divya Prabandha canon of literature by the Alvars glorifies this shrine as one of 11 Divya Desams in Kerala. It is said that there are references to this temple in four puranas; namely Brahma, Vayu, Varaha, Padma. The 8th century Alvar poet Nammalvar created four slokas and one phalasruthi about this temple.
Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple

Gopuram

The foundation of the present gopuram was laid in 1566.The temple has a 100-foot, seven-tier gopuram made in the Pandyan style.The temple stands by the side of a tank, named Padma Theertham (meaning the lotus spring). The temple has a corridor with 365 and one-quarter sculptured granite-stone pillars with elaborate carvings. This corridor extends from the eastern side into the sanctum sanctorum. An eighty-foot flag-staff stands in front of the main entry from the 'prakaram' (corridor). The ground floor under the gopuram (main entrance in the eastern side) is known as the 'Nataka Sala' where the famous temple art Kathakali was staged in the night during the ten-day uthsavam (festival) conducted twice a year, during the Malayalam months of Meenam and Thulam.

Mythology:
Padmanabha Swamy Temple stands at a place considered as one of the seven Parasurama Kshetras,texts including the Puranas,particularly the Skanda Purana and Padma Purana,have references for this shrine.Tradition states that in this place,the Hindu deity Lord Vishnu gave darshan to Indian sages like Divakarmuni and Vilvamangalam Swami.Another story tells of an pulaya couple seeing Vishnu in the form of a child.The child took morsels of rice from the hands of the couple.Also it is believed that Divakaramuni,when he saw the deity he took the first food item he saw which was an Unripe Mango and a coconut shell as an offering plate and performed primary pooja.In memory of this legend,naivedyam or offering prepared from rice is offered to the deity here in a coconut shell.

Guruvayur - The Gods own city

Guruvayur is a small town in Thrissur District not far from the sea. There is no sea breeze, the sand has long been hidden under paving stones, and we can’t hear the roar of the ocean. All eyes, ears and hearts are drawn inward, to what is for many of us the centre of the universe. Life here revolves around the Sri Krishna or Guruvayurappan Temple.



The small idol, made of black bismuth, a magnetic stone, represents Mahavishnu carrying his conch, discus, lotus and mace. The pujas conducted here are said to be laid down by Adi Shankara. They are performed by celibate priests who, for the duration of their tenure (six months at a time), do not leave the premises. Much of this worship is carried out behind closed doors, and the silence and mystery enhances the effect of the sudden, radiant glimpses of the deity.

The temple is crowded nearly all year round and is a favourite stop on the way to Sabarimala. All this makes a good darshan quite an achievement, but the long, hot wait, the cutters-in, the unholy jostling, the confused stumble at the last, are all forgot­ten in one timeless moment that leaves everyone with beaming faces.
In short
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Dedicated to the deity Lord Guruvayurappan, the temple at Guruvayur is one of the most important pilgrimage destinations in Kerala, South India. Come and experience a special form of happiness as you get a darshan of Lord Guruvayurappan or Lord Krishna at the temple at Guruvayur, Kerala, and South India. The Guruvayur Temple is said to be the second Dwarka and according to a very popular local legend when the real Dwarka got submerged under the sea, a devotee of Lord Krishna saved this idol from drowning and this idol of Lord Krishna was established at the Guruvayur temple.

Another legend propagates the fact that the idol of Lord Guruvayurappan mirrors the form in which the deity appeared to the mortal parents of Lord Krishna just before he took birth. Locals believe that Lord Brahma prayed at the Guruvayur Temple and the tradition of serpent worship is very rampant here. The popular festivals that are celebrated at the Guruvayur Temple are Astami Rohini, Chembai music festival, Ekadsi and Ulsavam.
How to Reach Guruvayoor Temple

By Air
The nearest airport is the Cochin International Airport located at a distance of 80 kilometers.

By Rail
Guruvayoor has an independent railway station just a few kilometers from the temple. Else, one can access the temple from the Thrissur railway station, which is just an hour's drive from here.

By Roads
Guruvayoor is well connected by a wide network of roads to all major towns and cities of Kerala and is easily accessible.

Sabarimala- Swamiyaee Saranam Ayyappaa

The south Indian state of Kerala, only 10 degrees above the equator, is a land of steep mountains thickly covered with splendid tropical forests. The early people of this region, of a Dravidian ancestral stock, lived amongst the trackless valleys and roaring streams in small tribal groups. Farming little, they hunted in the teeming forests, and their primary deity, Ayappa, was a youthful forest god. Various legends explain the birth of Ayappa (also known as Dharmasasta).

 One begins with Shiva roaming the mountain kingdoms of the Himalayas. There he sees a lovely maiden and, overcome with desire, he makes passionate love with her. But the maiden is married to another man, a tribal chieftain who vows revenge on the god. The tribal chieftain retires to an ice cave in the high mountains and practices austerities for a thousand years. Through these austerities he gains great psychic powers and finally goes forth to punish Shiva. From the heights of Mt. Kailash, Shiva sees the tribal chieftain approaching.

The chieftain looks like a terrible demon and Shiva, overcome with fear, calls on the god Vishnu for assistance and protection. Vishnu manifests himself as a beautiful damsel, seduces the demon chieftain, and destroys him. But then Shiva, once again overcome with sexual desire, sees the radiant damsel (who is merely Vishnu in another form) and mates with her. Out of this union comes a baby boy named Ayappa.

Embodying the qualities of both Vishnu and Shiva, Ayappa is an avatar (divinity in human form) born into the world to battle the demons of the hill tribes of Kerala. Shiva tells the magical child of his dharma-life (a life of service), and leaves him upon the bank of a mountain stream where he is discovered by a childless tribal king. Brought up by the king, Ayappa does many miracles, is a great healer and a defeater of demons. After fulfilling the purpose of his incarnation Ayappa entered the inner sanctum of the ancient temple upon sacred Mt. Sabari and disappeared.

During his mythical life, Ayappa kept the company of tigers and leopards. Mystics living in the deep forests surrounding the Sabarimala Mountains have for a thousand years reported seeing Ayappa riding through the jungles upon a majestic tiger.


The shrine of Sabarimala is one of the most remote shrines in southern India yet it still draws three to four million pilgrims each year. Before beginning the multi-day walk through the mountain jungles to get to Sabarimala, the pilgrims prepare themselves with 41 days of rigorous fasting, celibacy, meditation and prayer. Finally arriving at the shrine, the pilgrims will wait in line for hours, even days, to have one or two seconds in front of the image of Ayappa.

After seeing the deity, many pilgrims will complete a vow called Shayana Pradikshanam. In the Malayalam language of Kerala, Shayana means “body” and Pradakshinam means “revolution,” so Shayana Pradakshinam means “revolution with the Body.” This devotional practice is done not only in Sabarimala but also in other temples in Kerala.
The Sabarimala shrine is only open a few times each year: the Mandalam festival covering 41 days from November 15 to December 26; the Makaravilakku from January 1-14; on Vishu, the day of the vernal equinox in April; and during smaller festivals in May/June and August/September. The shrine, unlike many in southern India is open to persons of all religious callings, and there are no caste restrictions during the pilgrimage. However, women - unless they are younger than six or older than sixty - are not allowed to come to Sabarimala.

This is explained by referring to the celibacy of Ayappa and the concern that he might be lured away from his shrine by a woman his age (if certain readers find this somewhat sexist, they are informed that there are particular goddess shrines in south India which men are forbidden to enter). It is said that during the pilgrimage periods no tigers are found along the forest trails leading to Sabarimala. This is explained as resulting from Ayappa’s power over tigers. Other holy places associated with Ayappa are Kulattupuzha, Aryankavu, Accankovil, and Kantamala.

Mandalam means 41 days
Deeksha - Strictly following divine principles