Dr Venganoor Balakrishnan

There seems to be much confusion in the minds of the devotees on how the Sabarimala pilgrimage should be conducted in the proper manner and what rites it involves. It is especially pertinent to explain this in the wake of the recent stampede, which killed more than hundred people.
Sabarimala is one of the most important pilgrim centres of south India. Devotees who want to take the trek to Sabarimala observe fast from the first day of the month of Vristchika, (the fourth month of Malabar era) for 41 days (a mandala).
During the period of fasting, the devotees should take meals only once a day. Men observe celibacy during this period. Women above the age of 60 alone are permitted to visit the temple. Girls below the age of 10 can also go to worship the deity.
On the first day of the month, at dawn, the devotee has to visit a Saastha temple and wear a necklace of small beads with a locket of the lord’s image on it. This marks the start of the fast. After the pilgrimage, he can return to the temple and remove the chain there and put an end to his fast.
Once the fast begins, the devotee is supposed to observe purity of mind, body, thought and deed. He should not eat stale food during the whole period. He should not do any harm to other living beings or tell lies. He has to observe non-violence thoroughly.
Hinduism believes that every man has three liabilities — to the Rishi, to the Deva and to the Manes. During the pilgrimage to Sabarimala, all the three debts can be settled.
The celibacy observed during the period will purge the devotee of the first liability. The purity of fasting and the chanting of the Lord’s name submitting himself completely to the care of the deity cures him of the second liability. Taking a dip in River Pampa and observing rites for the well-being of the Manes purge him from the last of liabilities.
Now, about the deity. The life force of Prince Ayyappa (who was born of Lord Shiva and Mohini, the feminine disguise of Lord Vishnu) is believed to have merged in to Lord Saastha, on completion of his life’s mission.
Though the pilgrimage to Lord Ayyappa’s abode has many symbols such as black dress, irumudi (a bag of double compartments to be borne on the head while climbing the hill), ghee-filled coconut, the loud chanting of the lord’s name, the necklace of beads worn since the beginning of the fast is the most important. While wearing the necklace, the devotee has to chant the following sloka:

“Jnaanamudraam shaastrumudraam gurumudraam namaamyaham
Vanamudraam shuddhamudraam rudramudraam namaamyaham
Shaantamudraam satyamudraam vratamudraam namaamyaham
Shabaryaashrama satyena mudraam paatu sadaapi mae
Gurudakshinayaa poorvam tasyaanugraha kaarine
Sharanaagata mudraakhyam tvan mudraam dhaarayaamyaham
Shabaryaachala mudraayai namastubhyam namo namaha”.
Lord Saastha took incarnation on the Uthram Star in the month of Dhanu (the third month of Malabar era) in order to redeem man of his sins of prior births.
Tradition insists that devotees should wear dark blue or black dress during the pilgrimage to Sabarimala. Interestingly, many psychologists also say that dress of this colour reduces tension.
A bag having two compartments made of cloth in the same colour and bearing a mark of crecsent in white should be carried on head. The first compartment should be filled with offerings to the lord and the second with food items the devotee has to consume on the way. These two compartments symbolically represent the grace of the lord and sins of the devotee.
The ghee, filled and kept in the coconut, should be given as offering to the deity. The coconut is thrown to the big fire kept live at the temple throughout the period. On the way, devotees should also conduct puja to Lord Ganesha.
At last, the devotee has to climb the 18 steps that have symbolic significance to reach the sanctum sanctorium. This is the peak moment of the pilgrimage.

— Dr Venganoor Balakrishnan is the author of Thaliyola, a book on Hindu beliefs and rituals.
He has also written books on the Vedas and Upanishads. The author can be reached at drvenganoor@yahoo.co.in