Ayyappa Swamy
Ayyappa Swamy temple is located on the Sabarimala hills of the Western Ghats mountain range, Pathanamthitta district, Kerala. Reaching the temple located at an altitude of 914 meters above the sea level by foot, the multitudes of devotees enjoy the stunning scenes of nature all along the 4 km route shouting the names of the Lord in ecstasy, “Swamiye Sharanam Ayyappa”. The diverse kinds of flora and fauna found in this best part of Kerala make the trip worth remembering.
Communal Harmony
The chief characteristic of Sabarimala temple is communal harmony. With regard to entry, there is no discrimination whatsoever and the temple is open for people of all religions and faiths. In a typical year, over 50 million people visit Sabarimala temple making it one of the most visited temples in this history of Hinduism.
Temple Schedule
Ayyappa temple is open for darshan only on specific dates of every month and therefore devotees are allowed to visit the temple only on these days. The calendar of the temple is published year on year for the devotees to view and make the travel plans accordingly.
Temple Schedule
Generally on the days of opening, the devotees can have the darshan of the Lord from 4 am to 11 pm with the time extending during peak festivals like Makara Vilakku (sighting of the holy flame on the hill top).
Ayyappan History
Once Shiva and Vishnu gave rise to a child out of their combined powers. This infant was left in the forest where the king of the Pandala region came for hunting. Seeing the resplendent baby, the king was overwhelmed as he was childless and considered the baby a gift of God. Spotting a golden bead (Mani) tied to the neck of the baby, the child was named Manikandan.
Renovations
In 1821 AD, the Pandalam kingdom got merged with Travancore. After this, about 48 temples including the Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala were brought under the control of the Travancore Devaswom Board. Temple history says the idol we see today at the temple was installed in 1910. Also, there is a mention in the history that the temple was set to flame by a Christian radical group and then eventually reconstructed by the Devaswom board to the present status.
PHILOSOPHY BEHIND AYYAPPA HISTORY
Sabarimala is a university of philosophical teachings. God blesses every one surrendering at his feet with all prosperity and happiness. The holy mount also reminds that if the blessing of God are misused, punishment too await them. Even those with boons of immortality had to meet with their ends due to sins and arrogance. The one certainty of life is but uncertainty.
Also, we go in groups together, worship the Lord and return with a fund of blessings.
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