Type Here to Get Search Results! The Hindu Portal 0. For the last 36 years, we have been conducting the most auspicious Mandala Pooja at our temple Ayyappa Sannidhi, with an ever-increasing number of devotees participating in the celebrated annual event.
Now they can even undertake the blessed climb on our newly constructed, panchaloha five metals made Pathinettampadi. Sri Ayyappa is the personification of unity, blending the differences on many planes, many beliefs, many rationales, and many principles into a gigantic acceptance and accommodation of reverence bringing humans together, bonding their minds and blending their devotion to ultimate submission.
He is the son of Shiva and Vishnu, uniting the Shaivite and Vaishnavite traditions, a celibate yogi God, who can be attained only through penance of self-control, the epitome of Dharma extolling the virtues of rectitude, an incarnation of Buddha, reaching beyond the tenets of Hindu faith, and with his friend a Muslim, accomplishing harmony of religions. Sabarimala Sree Dharma Sastha Temple, dedicated to Lord Ayyappa, is the most famous and prominent among all the Sastha temples in the world, situated on a feet hilltop in the state of Kerala.
Millions of devotees undertake their pilgrimage during the Makaravilakku in the month of January, making it one of the most active pilgrimage sites in the world.
Sri Ayyappa of Sabarimala is unique and special, installed, consecrated and invoked as a Naishtika Brahmachari, a celibate forever, in total control of his senses and detached from worldly life, utilizing all his power to a higher level. And in that form, a Naishtika Brahmachari has some peculiarities and requirements to be respected and followed by the devotees who are desirous of visiting Him.
The significance of the Vritham is to observe austerity and abstinence in life, seeking a merger with the Ultimate. The devotee embarks on the sacred mission with the blessings of his elders and the Guruswamy who has attained status through several visits to Sabarimala. They wear a garland, the mala, made of Tulsi or Rudraksham beads guided by the Guru in the environs of a temple. During the Vritham, the devotees surrender to Sri Ayyappa, being an ascetic, in thoughts, words, and deeds, taking bath early in the morning, praying and offering poojas, following strict sattvic vegetarianism, avoiding sensual pleasures and offering themselves to the service of others.
The offerings include coconuts filled with ghee, betel leaves and nuts, coins, jaggery, turmeric, camphor, kumkum, vibhhothi and such. At the conclusion of the pooja, each of the Ayyappa pilgrims takes the Irumudi on his head and embarks on the journey to the sacred Sannidhaanam, the Sanctum. On their way, the devotees would be paying their visits to several temples, and reaching the base of the holy hills, dipping in the sacred waters of Pampa river and start their climb of about three miles.
Every Ayyappa devotee, before he reaches the Sanctum Sanctorum, has to lay his footsteps over and climb the sacred 18 steps, the Pathinettampadi. The significance of the ritualistic procedure is a symbolic way of shedding the personal ego, as expressed through the steps. Eighteen is traditionally propitious in Hinduism, as noted from the Vedic age, from the number of chapters in the first Veda, the number of days of the Kurukshetra war, or the chapters in Bhagavad Gita. And the 18 Holy steps in Sabarimala symbolize the five sense organs or Panchenrdriyas, the eight passions, the three natures or Gunas and the last two being Vidya or knowledge and Avidya or ignorance.
By climbing the eighteen steps the devotee is getting detached from all the above-mentioned worldly ties and qualifying to attain the divine premise. Every Saturday during November and December, there would be Ashtabhishekam. The first Padi Pooja was observed on November 17th and the next one on December 8th evening along with Akhandanamajapam during the whole day and Annadaanam at noon. A few devotees would be ascending the Pathinettampadi on December 15th and 22nd, along with Ghee Abhishekam Laksharchana and, Deeparadhana followed by the procession on the twenty-second.
On the fourteenth of January, the festival of Makaravilakku Pooja on Makar Sankranthi would be performed, coinciding with the major annual celebration at Sabarimala. When I spoke to the organizers about how it was all possible and they said it was a combined effort of not just the devotees, but countless number of volunteers who dedicated their time immensely in preparing the food, getting the hall ready and supporting financially with their generous donations.
The organizers also said that the temple board had been so cooperative that they allowed them to make use of the temple resources and the kitchen for Annadhanam that served around people. The volunteer members of the temple were present throughout the day to help the devotees. He always believed all of us on this earth should be treated as equals.
He always emphasized on feeding or sharing the food or the offerings with the needy. Having been blessed with food during their long journey our devotees here wanted to do the same of sharing their blessings with all their fellow devotees of temple. I think our future generation can learn the values of sharing from them.
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