Lord Ayyappa

Lord Ayyappa is considered as one of the famous deity worshipped in kerala. In recent times, not only in kerala, devotees from all around world started building temples and worshipping Ayyappa. The fact is that, Ayyappa is believed to be the one god who protects his devotees from miseries and suffering in “Kali Yuga”. Ayyappa is also knows as Dharmasasta, Manikandan, Bhutanathan, Pandala Raja, and Pamba Vaasan. Ayyappa is worshipped in many forms in different temples, worshipped as a child at Kulathupuzha, worshipped with his consorts Pushpaka and Poorna in Achankovil and meditating form in sabarimala. Ayyappa was born with composite energy of Lord Siva and Lord Vishnu, when Lord Vishnu was taken over mohini form. Lord Vishnu gifted a bejeweled bell necklace to the new born Ayyappa and thus, known as "Manikandan".

The main intention behind Ayyappa’s birth was to demolish Mahishi, one of the asura demon princesses who was threatening and plundering the world at that time. Pandalam King had found this boy in forest and taken to his palace. Ayyappa was lived in Pandalam Palace as the son of the Pandalam King. It is found that he had super-human or divine knowledge, wisdom, and courage. He learned Veda, Kalari (martial art) and other war tactics quickly. He had helped Pandalam king for protecting king and kingdom of Pandalam from enemy attacks. Ayyappa was forced to go to forest for seeking “Puli Paal” (tigress-milk) as his mother was suffering ill. Ayyappa went to forest and met Mahishi, fought with her and killed. He had released a beautiful woman who had been cursed to become Mahishi. The young woman proposed Ayyappa for marriage, but he declined, being a celibate (brahmachari). However he consoled her and promised that she would be housed next to him in his temple and would be visited by devotees, and if the number of new pilgrims (kanni swami) visiting him stopped, then he would marry her. Hence she is now worshiped as Maalikapurathamma.

After killing Mahishi, Ayyappa left Pandalam and went to Sabarimala, where he is worshipping in celibate meditation form. He promised his devotees that who ever comes to visit me with “Mudi kettu”, I will protect them from sufferings, miseries, illness. The very famous and important temple for Lord Ayyappa is Sabarimala itself. It is believed that over 50 million devotees are visiting this temple every year, which is of course making this temple second largest pilgrim center in this world. “Appam” and “Aravana” are the famous and special offering to Lord Ayyappa

Swamiyee Saranam Ayyppa

Vishnu Maya

Vishnu Maya is also referred as Chathan or Kuttichathan. His rides in buffalo and known for his Maya (illusions). Vishnu Maya (Kuttichathan) born in union of Lord Siva and a tribal girl called Koolivaka. Koolivaka was a tribal chandala (outcaste) girl and was forced by Lord siva to mate. Koolivaka, who was true devotee of goddess parvathy asked help from devi to escape from the embarrassment. Parvathy devi then advised her to stay away and took the form of her. The reason behind this was the pre-ordained fate of Koolivaka. She was one of the servants of Parvathy Devi in her previous birth. One day Devi happened to see her breast feeding vinayaka. Parvathy Devi could not control her anger and cursed that she would be born in earth as an out caste girl. In reply to her apology and request for getting out of this situation, goddess parvathy devi blessed her and told that she would be getting an opportunity to feed Lord Siva’s son in next birth.
Another intention behind Vishnu Maya’s birth was to kill the asura called “Jalandhara“. Once Narada revealed to Chathan the secret behind his birth and intention, chathan went to see his parents in Kailasam. He took form of Vishnu and bluffed Nandikeshwara while entering to Kailasam. Lord siva thus named Chathan as Vishnu Mayam the one who took the form o
f Vishnu as Maya (illusion).

Lord Mahavishnu

Lord Mahavishnu is one of the deities in ‘Trimurthis’. The three functions of the world namely “Creation” , “Maintenance” and “Destruction” are being done by ‘Trimurthis’. Vishnu is known as the preserver in them. Mahavishnu is honored as the highest God in Hindhuism. The term ‘Dasavathara’ is related to Mahavishnu’s ten incarnations. Dasavatharas are Matsya, Koorma, Varaha, Narasimha, Parasurama, Vamana, Rama, Balrama, Krishna and Kalki. All these incarnations take place in all yugas in cosmic scales. In “Bhagavad Gita” and Vishnu SSahasranama, Vishnu is described as the master of the past, present and future, the creator and the destroyer of the world and all living and nonliving beings.

The name ‘VISHNU’ means the one who can enter anywhere, as we usually says ‘Sarvavyapi’. Appearance of Vishnu is a little different from other Gods. His skin colour is in blue colour. It represents the infinite space color as the sky and the ocean having same blue colour. Vishnu’s appearance is picturised as a four armed male form, holding padhma (Lotus), gadha, Sankha (conch shell) or and Sudharsanachakra. There is a mark on his chest, named as ‘Srivalsam’. This mark indicates Lakshmi devi. Its believed that Devi resides on the chest of Vishnu. His famous jewel is named as ‘Kausthubham’. The main identity is his crown with peacock feather, which we can see in his ‘Krishna Avathar’. Anantha, the snake is always with him. He rests on Anantha and thus knows as ‘Ananthasaayee’. Vishnu’s consort is Mahalakshmi devi, the goddess of wealth. Vishnu is also honored as the deity of Santhi, the peaceful mood. Vishnu take five forms such as Para form, Vyuha form, Vybhava form, Antharyami form and Arcavathara form. In the Arcavathara form only the devotees can worship the Lord directly.

Vinayaka

Vinayaka is one of the famous and greatly worshipped deities in Hinduism. Vinayakar is also known as Ganesh, Vinayaka Vigneswara, Ganapathy, Pillaiyar . The main identity of Vinayaka is his elephant like head. Its known that Vinayaka is the eldest son of Lord Siva and Goddess Parvathy. We believe that if we pray to Ganapathy, then all the obstacles in front of us will remove quickly. Because of that Vinayaka is known as the Lord of obstacles and the God of new beginnings. Thus got the name ‘Vighneswara’, the one who removes ‘Vighna’ from our path. For all new beginnings, Hindus do ‘Ganapathy Homam’ properly in temples and even at homes. Vehicle of Vinayaka is a mouse.

Many stories are there about the birth of Vinayaka. Once Devi Parvathy created a very powerful boy for preventing anybody from entering into her room, without her permission. Then Lord Siva came there for visiting Devi and asked that boy to allow him to enter. Devi was then having bath. But that boy didn’t allow Lord Siva to enter. Then the uncontrolled Lord Siva cut off that boy’s head. Hearing this news, Goddess Parvathy became furious and asked Siva to get back her son. Siva was helpless in returning his head. Then he cut the head of an elephant and placed it over his neck. Thus Lord Siva gave him a new birth and named him as Vinayaka. He is the God of art, music and prosperity. Devotees of Vinayaka offers him ‘Modhaka’ and laddus for getting his blessings. 

Rama or Sreerama

Rama or Sreerama Chandra is the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Lord Rama is one of the popular deities in Hindhuism. He is considered as the perfect man in the world. He is called ‘Maryadha Purushothaman’ in this sense. Our famous epic ‘Ramayana’ describes the story of Sreerama from his birth. Devi Sita, the avathar of Mahalakshmi, is the wife of Sreerama. Sita is here represented as a concrete example of perfect woman. Dasaradha, the king of Ayodhya is the father of Rama. Dasaradha has three wives, Kausalya, kaikeyee and Sumithra. Kausalya’s son is Rama, Bharatha, Lakshmana, Sathrughna are the brothers of Rama.

For keeping the word of his father, Rama even decided to avoid his kingdom and live in forest for 14 years. His wife Sita and brother Lakshmana accompanied him through the way. On the way devi Sita was kidnapped by Ravana, the king of Lanka. Then Rama made an army with the help of Hanuman and the monkey king Sugriva. Then they killed Ravana and demolished his kingdom. Lanka then handed over to Vibhishana, brother of Ravana. After 14 years Rama came back to Ayodhya and became the king. This full story is written in our epic ‘Ramayana’. Even though he is incarnation of Lord Vishnu, he lived as a human, with all qualities of an ideal man. He thus showed others, how to liv
e like an ideal man.

Siva

ord Siva is an important God in Hinduism, including in the Trimurthis. In the ‘Trimurthis’, Siva has the duty of destroying or ‘Samhara’. Siva is believed as the supreme God. Siva is referred as consciousness as per Sakthisam. Siva has many more other names as Rudhra, Mahadeva, Parameswara, Neelakanda. Siva is worshipped mostly in the form of ‘Siva Linga’. Siva is usually portrayed as immersed in deep meditation or the famous Natraja form. His famous dance is known as ‘Thandava’. In Sanskrit, the word ‘Siva’ means kind or ‘The pure one’. The main feature of Lord Siva is his third eye, which situates in the middle of his forehead. He uses his third eye to burn desires to ashes. His appearance is also different from other devas. He is often shown garlanded with a snake around his throat. ‘Tri soola’ or trident is his main weapon. A small drum named as ‘Damaru’ is always attatched to his trident. Lord Siva and all attendants live in Mount Kailasa in Himalaya Hills.
His dress is the skin of cheetah. He usually applies bhasmam on his forehead and also wears half moon in his head. River Ganga devi is also resides in Siva’s hair, which has a shell like structure. Thus he got the name ‘Gangadhara’. Its believed that the blue color of Siva’s throat is because of the poison which he drank during the ‘Palazhimadhanam’. Thus he got the name ‘Neelakanda’. Devi Parvathi is the wife of Lord Siva. Their combination is usually known as ‘Ardhanareeswara’,half man and half woman. Lord Siva is easy to be pleased and easy to be angered. It is told that his anger is like a fire. Lord Siva’s vehicle is Nandhikeswara.

The main offering to Lors siva is Dhara. The main feature of siva temples is, one should not circumambulate in full inside the temple. It is because of “Somarekha” placed in the position.

Pandavas

Pandavas are described in the Indian epic ‘Mahabharatha’. Pandavas includes five brothers Yudhishtira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva. They are the sons of ‘Pandu’, by his two wives, ’Kunthi’ and ‘Madhri’. The word ‘Pandavas’ means the sons of ‘Pandu’. Yudhishtira, Bhima and Arjuna are the sons of Kunthi. Remaining are the sons of Madhri. It is described in Mahabharatha, that five brothers were married to ‘Draupathi’, a true Krishna devotee. Lord Krishna was closely related to Pandavas during Kurukshethra war by giving advices and help at right times. Friendship of Lord Krishna and Lord Arjuna is well known in that epic. Pandu has a brother named Dridhrashtra, who was blind by birth. The main enemies of Pandavas were Kauravas. Kauravas were 100 in numbers, the sons of Dridhrashtra . After the death of Pandu, Pandavas and Kauravas started quarrel for the kingdom. The kingdom was supposed to handover to Yudhishtira, the eldest son of Pandu. But Duryodhana, the eldest son of Kauravas did not like it and often trouble the Pandavas. Kauravas played dirty game against Pandavas and succeeded of pushing them away from the country. The battle of Kurukshethra was happened dispute of the kingdom.

Yudhishtira is the begotten son of ‘Yamadharma’ and known as Dharma puthra. Arjuna is the son of Indra. Bhima is the son of Pavanan. And Nakul and Sahadev are the sons of Aswini Kumars.

Lord Narasimha

Lord Narasimha is fourth incarnation of Lord Maha Vishnu. Narasimha is in the form of Half Man and Half Lion, and is considered as the most ugra form of Vishnu's form. This form is having a human-like torso and a lower body, but with a lion-like face and claws with ugra form. He is believed as protector of devotees all the time. Lord Narasimha took birth on earth to demolish Hiranyakashipu, the cruel asura who was considered Lord Vishnu as his moral enemy. He was brother of Hiranyaksha, the asura who was killed by Vishnu. Hiranyakashipu, thus challenging Vishnu and decided to kill vishnu's followers. He was torturing all of devas and his own villagers those are worshipping vishnu. He was forcing all of them to worship him, instead of Vishnu. His son, Prahlada was one of the devotees of Vishnu. Hiranyakashipu started challenging lord vishnu and threatening the world by his evil acts. Since he found his son himself with Vishnu's side, he decided to kill his son. Whenever he tries to kill his son, Lord vishnu was protecting him with his maya. Hiranyakashipu with utter anger asked Prahlada to show his lord. He said, Lord vishnu is in every where, even in the pillar right besides him. He thrashed the pillar into pieces and challenged him. Lord Narasimha came out from the pillar and killed the asura demon.

Ugra Narasimha, Krodha Narasimha, Malola Narasimha, Jwala Narasimha, Varaha Narasimha, Bhargava Narasimha, Karanja Narasimha, Yoga Narasimha, Lakshmi Narasimha, Chhatravata Narasimha / Pavana Narasimha / Pamuleti Narasimha are the main narasimha deities, known as "Navanarasimha".

Nagas

According to Indian culture snakes are also considered as gods. ‘Nagas’ or ‘Sarppas’ means snakes. Usually we considers a naga as a king cobra. There are more importance for this ‘Nagas’ in our epics. Many stories are written about them. One of the very famous snake in our epic ‘Mahabharatha’ is ‘Anantha’, on that snake Lord Mahavishnu is laying. Great enemy of Nagas in the epics is Garuda, the vehicle of Vishnu.

Main offering to nagas are "Paalum, noorum". This can be offered in almost all naga temples in kerala.

Muruga

Muruga or Subramanya is a popular deity among Hindus, especially among Tamil people. Many names are there for Muruga as Karthikeya, Kumara, Velayudha, Shanmugha and so on. His main weapon is known as ‘Vel’, which was given by Parvathy. Thus known as Velayudha. He was born as the second son of Lord Siva and Goddess Parvathy. But he was brought up by six mothers known as Krithika devis, hence he known as Karthikeyan. The intension of the birth of Muruga was to kill ‘Tharaka’, the crude and cruel asura. Its believed that he has six faces. Peacock is the vehicle of Muruga. Valli and Devayani are the two wives of Muruga. He is known as the God of War . One speciality of Lord Muruga is that he will always be young and handsome.

Mariyamman

Mariyamman is one of the famous goddess worshipped mainly in south india. ‘Amman’ in tamil means ‘Mother’, “Mari” means rain. Put together, meaning of ‘Mariamman’ is supposed to be the goddess of rain. This Goddess is worshipped commonly in south Indian states like Tamilnadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and some parts of Kerala too. Mother ‘Mari’ is related to our well known goddess Durga devi. Mariyamman is usually represents as an attractive lady with red dress. The word ‘mari’ has one more meaning, that is associated with disease "Pox". People considers Mariyamman as the goddess of the diseases like pox, small pox and chicken pox. The main remedy she advises for these diseases is the liquid mixture of neem and turmeric powder. We can see most of the mariyamman temples in rural areas or villages. there are non Brahmin poojaries for everyday pooja. In some temples, mariamma has no form and is only represented by a stone, with a lemon garland.

Lakshmana

Lakshmana is the brother of Lord Rama. He is also one of the close companion of Lord Rama. In Hinduism, Lakshmana is considered as the avathara of ‘Anantha’, the immortal and infinite snake on which Lord Vishnu takes rest. Lakshmana is the son of Dhasaradha’s and sumithra and twin brother of Sathrughna. In spite of of being the twin brother of Sathrughna , Lakshmana was more attached to Lord Rama. Lakshmana married to Urmila, the sister of Sita devi. Lakshmana accompanied with Rama in his entire life. He was so loyal, lovable and committed to his brother. When Rama was exiled from the country for 14 years, Lakshmana also gave up all his happiness and accompanied his brother’s foot steps. During the way also Lakshmana served Lord Rama and Sita Devi reverently. He took care of them properly during those days.

‘Lakshmana Rekha’ is very famous. It is his specialty. Intruders cant enter into the ‘Lakshmana Rekha’ or Lakshmana’s limit. If anyone crosses then they will be instantly killed. Also Lakshmana is known as a very powerful warrior. His courage and power are near to that of Lord Rama. Lakshmana is a perfect example for a man whose life represents the duties of a man to his elders. Selfishness could not be seen in any part of his life. 

Hanuman

Hanuman is one of the most important personalities in 'Ramayana'. Hanuman is known as a popular devotee of Lord Rama. His help made Rama to find out Sita devi easily and then defeat Ravana in the war. Hanuman is known as different names such as Anjaneya, Pavan puthra, Maruthi. The name 'Anjaneya' was derived from his mother's name 'Anjana', a female vanara. Its also believed that Hanuman is the incarnation of Lord Siva. So Hanuman is known as 'Maharudhra' too. Some believes that Hanuman is the son of 'Vayu', the God of wind, so having the name 'Pavan puthra'.
Hanuman meets Lord Rama when he was wandering in the forest. Rama was expelled from his country for a period of 14 years. His wife Sita and brother Lakshmana were accompanying him. But on the way, Devi Sita was kidnapped by Ravana, the king of Lanka. After their meeting Hanuman brought out an alliance between Sugriva and Lord Rama. Sugriva and his vanaras, especially Hanuman helped Rama to defeat Ravana and regain Sita. After the Ramayana war, the time came for the departure of Rama to heaven. Then every followers of Rama, excluding Hanuman decided to depart with him. But Hanuman was requested to remain on earth as an immortal sign of perfect devotee of Rama. Hanuman's version of Ramayana is known as Hanumadh Ramayana. After the war, Hanuman scripted this, when he was living in the Himalayas. But it was completely different from Valmiki's Ramayana. Its believed that,When Valmiki read 'Hanumadh Ramayana' he felt disappointed and Hanuman discarded it.

It is hanuman's speciality, that even though he is god, he always wanted to be the servant of his master, Lord Rama. Doing upasana for Hanuman is very special and auspicious and he will be protecting his devotees from all sufferings and helping for endurance in their life. It is believed that Lord Hanuman is still living with us in Kali yuga and blessing all his devotees.

Lord Dhanwanthari

Lord Dhanwanthari is an avatar of Lord Vishnu in Hindu tradition. He appears in the Vedas and Puranas as the physician of the devas. Lord Dhanwanthari is believed as the God of Ayurveda. It is common practice in Hinduism to worship Lord Dhanvantari and seeking his blessings for sound health. Dhanwanthari was one of the ancient medical adviser in India. Its believed that the first surgery was made by him. His treatments were perfectly natural. He used herbs and natural medicines for curing diseases. He could even find out the medicinal purposes of turmeric, salt and such many commonly used things. He used turmeric as an antiseptic, salt as a preservative. He is also believed to be the pioneer of modern medical practices.

In modern medical science, we use anesthetic for all the surgeries. But Dhanwanthari didn’t use anything like that for his treatment. Because of this, his methods were a lot more painful for the diseased ones. In spite of his crude methods, his treatments were knows to be successful. Dhanwanthari is depicted as Vishnu with four hands, holding medical herbs in one hand and a pot containing of ‘amritham’ in another. Birth day of Lord Dhanwanthari is celebrated every year which is two days before diwali.

Bhagavathy

Bhagavathy (Bhagavathi) or Devi is considered as female aspect of the divine Shakthi, as conceived by the Shakta tradition of Hinduism. Shakthi is considered as the female counterpart without whom the male aspect remains impotent. Shakthi is the energy and Shakthi worship is a vital part of Hindu Tradition. Devi is the manifestation of supreme lord “Prakriti” where male aspect of the divine is considered as “Purusha”.

Devi manifests herself as Creator (Durga or the Divine Mother), Preserver (Lakshmi, Parvathy and Saraswaty) and Destroyer (Mahishasura-Mardini, Kali). Devi is worshipped mostly in the form of divine mother. One of the important aspects of the Female divine is the various Shakti Peethas spread all across the country, where over 51 body parts of Devi Sathi, first wife of Lord Siva fell after being broken apart by the Sudarshana Chakra of Lord Vishnu.

Another notable aspect is Mahavidyas, which denotes the supreme knowledge, revelations and manifestations, refer to a group of ten goddesses. They constitute an important aspect of Mahadevi theology, which emphasizes that the Devi has a tendency to manifest and display herself in a variety of forms and aspects. Ten Mahavidyas are: Kali, Tara, Chinnamasta, Bhuvanesvari, Bagla, Dhumavati, Kamla, Matangi, Sodasi, and Bhairavi. Devi is worshipped as Durga, Kaali, Lakshmi, Saraswathy, Rajarajeswari, Parvathy and many more. In kerala, we can see most of the devi temples are woshipped devi as Badra kali (kaali). Though she is eternal, the goddess becomes manifest over and over again to protect the world.

Mazhuvannur Maha Siva Kshethram

Mazhuvannur Maha Siva Kshethram is an ancient Hindu Temple in Wayanad district of Kerala state in south India.The presiding deity in the sanctum-sanctorum is Lord Shiva, other deities are Arayil Bhagavathy, sree durga, nandhi, Lord Ayyappa and Lord Ganapathi. This temple is situated on the highest peak in the areas of Karingari, Paliyana, and Tharuvana.Daily poojas are performed here from dates unknown. Famous Mazhuvannur Thekke Illam family members perform pooja here from ancient times till today.

Legend About The Name:
It is believed that the name Mazhuvannur is derived from three malayalam words "Mazhu"(Axe), "Vanna"(Come), "Oor"(Place).Which means the place where axe had fallen.

Legend About The Temple:
Lord Siva appeared to Banasura after his hard tapas. Banasura asked Lord Siva to stand as a guard to his Kingdom. Then Lord Siva and Parvathi stood as guard to his Kotta. Chithralekha, daughter of Banasura is in affection with Anirudhan, the son of Lord Sreekrishna. One day Arirudhan reached the Banasura Kotta to meet Chithralekha. There started a big fight between Anrudhan and Lord Siva. Lord Siva thrown his axe against Anirudha from the banasura hills. The axe was believed to have fallen in Mazhuvannur. And Parasurama is believed to have done the foundation to the temple.

Functions And Activities:
Daily pooja was being carried out in this temple from days immemorial and the same still continues. During festival times like Onam, Vishu, Aaayudha pooja etc special poojas are carried out. During Sabarimala season daily evening pooja is carried out. Lot of devotees from near and far attend such functions. In Sabari Mala season Bhajana and special prayers ae carried out. Recently the temple committee has started giving "Annadanam" on First day of each calender month, which is being attended by mass.

Properties Of Temple:
The main temple complex, Lord Ayyappan tree based structure, Temple pond, Temple land known as Banglow Kunnu, Naaga Kaav, Temple land and idol at Puthusseri.

Landscape:
Banasura Hills are near this temple and offers a picturesque view.Banasura Sagar Dam, one of the biggest Earth dam in Asia is constructed recently and it attracts lot of tourists.

How To Reach The Temple:
Nearest railway station is Calicut. The temple is situated 10 Kilometers south-west of Mananthavady. From Tharuvana it is one kilometer away, and transport is available round the clock. Famous temples like Thirunelli Temple and Valliyoorkavu temple can be reached from here with in one hour time.

Sabarimala Ayyappa

Sabarimala is a Hindu pilgrimage center located in the Western Ghat mountain ranges of Pathanamthitta District, Perunad grama panchayat in Kerala. It is the largest annual pilgrimage in the World with an estimated 45-50 million devotees visiting every year. Sabarimala is believed to be the place where the Hindu God Ayyappan meditated after killing the powerful demoness, Mahishi. Ayyappan's temple is situated here amidst 18 hills. The temple is situated on a hilltop at an altitude of 468 m (1535 ft) above mean sea level, and is surrounded by mountains and dense forests. Temples exist in each of the hills surrounding Sabarimala. While functional and intact temples exist at many places in the surrounding areas like Nilackal, Kalaketi, and Karimala, remnants of old temples survive to this day on remaining hills.

Sabarimala is linked to Hindu pilgrimage, predominantly for men of all ages. They do not shave till the completion of pilgrimage and smear Vibhuti or Sandal paste on their forehead. Women between the ages of 10 and 50 are not allowed to enter the temple, since the story attributed to Ayyappa prohibits the entry of the women in the menstrual age group. This is because Ayyappan is a Bramachari (Celibate). The temple is open for worship only during the days of Mandalapooja (approximately November 15 to December 26), Makaravilakku (January 14- "Makara Sankranti") and Vishu (April 14), and the first six days of each Malayalam month.

The Pilgrimage:
The devotees are expected to follow a vratham (41-day penance) prior to the pilgrimage. This begins with wearing of a special Mala (a garland made of Rudraksha or Tulasi beads). In general from then they are to refrain from non-vegetarian food of any kind (except dairy) alcohol, and tobacco, engaging in sex, using foul language, hair-cuts and shaving. They are expected to bath twice and visit the local temples regularly and only wear plain black or blue coloured traditional clothing. Saffron colored dresses are worn by Sanysis (monks) who have renunciated material life. But, many devotees still continue to wear saffron colored clothes which are against vedic scriptures due to ignorance.

Hundreds of devotees still follow the traditional mountainous forest path (approximately 52 km) from Erumely, believed to be taken by Ayyappa himself. The part starts from Erumely to Aludha river, then crosses the Aludha mountain to reach Karivilam thodu. Now comes the sacred Karimala crossing, from there to Cheriyanavattom, Valliyanavattom and finally Pamba River. Then they have to climb neelimala and we enter into the ganesh bettam, shreeram betta padam.Aranmula kottaram is one of the halt place of holy journey 'thiruvabharana khosayatra'. But many people use vehicular traffic which can go till the Holy Pamba River by an alternate road. Thereafter, all the pilgrims have to follow a mountainous forest trekking path approximately four kilometers up a steep hill (Neeli Mala) to Sabarimala. This path, now developed, with shops and medical aid by the sides, used to be a mere trail through dense forest.

Harivarasanam:
Harivarasanam is recited before closing the temple door every night. Harivarasanam song, which is sung at Sabarimala as a lullaby at night (Urakkupattu) was composed by Sri Kambangudi Kulathur Srinivasa Iyer. It is said that Srinivasa Iyer used to recite the composition, after the Athazha Puja, standing in front of the shrine of Ayyappa in the main temple. With the efforts of Swami Vimochanananda, it came to be accepted as the lullaby by the Thantri and melshanthi. The composition has 352 letters, 108 words in 32 lines (8 stanzas). Though there have been many versions of this song sung by many renowned vocalists, the temple plays the rendition by K. J. Yesudas, composed by the renowned music director G. Devarajan, which is in the 'Madhyamavathi' raga of Indian Karnatic music. Harivarasanam is written in Malayalam.

Neyyabhishekam:
This significant ritual involves pouring sacred ghee brought by pilgrims in their Pallikettu or Irumudi (A two compartment bag made of handwoven cotton cloth used to bear the offerings for Sabarimala Temple by the devotees and carried on their heads) on the idol of Lord Ayyappa. It symbolically means the merging of Jeevatma with the Paramatma. While a Red coloured Irumudi is used by a pilgrim on his first journey (Kanni Ayyappan) to Sabarimala, others use Navy Blue till third year and there on saffron coloured Irumudi.

Makara Vilakku:
Lord Sri Rama and his brother Lakshmana met Sabari, a tribal devotee, at Sabarimala. Sabari offered the Lord fruits after tasting them. But the Lord accepted them gladly and whole-heartedly. The Lord then turned and saw a divine person doing tapas. He asked Sabari who it was. Sabari said it was Sasta. Rama walked towards Sasta and the latter stood up and welcomed the Prince of Ayodhya. The anniversary of this incident is celebrated on Makara Vilakku day. It is believed that on Makara Vilakku day, Lord Dharmasasta stops his tapas to bless his devotees.and also it will caaled makara shankranthi.

Aham Brahmasmi and Tattvamasi:
The important message given at the temple is the ultimate knowledge that each individual is a God unto himself/herself, Tat Tvam Asi in Sanskrit meaning "That is you". Due to this pilgrims call each other Swami. Tat Tvam Asi, meaning "That Thou Art" is the message that is given out by the Lord. It means, in short, you are part of the Universal Soul (in Sanskrit "Paramatma") which is the quintessence of Advaita philosophy. It also means for reaching Paramatma or Universal Soul. This mahavakya suggested by swami chinnmayananda(1916-1993) in end of 70's
Illumination and Power.

In this remote hill shrine the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) is shouldering the task of providing sufficient illumination in base camps, trekking paths and the Sannidhanam, the shrine spot. KSEB installs and maintains around 15000 electric lamps of various types here. Power is brought here through Kochu Pampa and Thriveni Substations. Through uninterrupted supply and well maintained lights KSEB has been able to maintain good reputation in the recent years.

How To Reach:

• Air: Thiruvananthapuram International Airport (170 km) and Cochin International Airport, at Nedumbassery, Kochi (160 km) are the nearest airports.
• Rail: Chengannur (90 km) is the nearest Railway station. Direct Bus services to Pathanamthitta and Pamba are operated from Chengannur Railway Station
• Road: The main trunk road to Sabarimala is Pathanamthitta - Pamba, which passes through, Mannarakulanji, Vadasserikara, Perunad, Laha, Nilackal Pampa. The distance from Pathanamthitta District center to Sabarimala is about 70KM. Kerala State Road Transport Corporation operates, regular daily bus services from Pathanamthitta, Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam. On special days, when the temple is opened for Poojas, KSRTC operates more services to all major towns of Kerala and neighboring states.

Thirunelli

Thirunelli Temple (also Tirunelli) is an ancient temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu on the side of Brahmagiri hill in Kerala. The temple is at an altitude of about 900m in north Wayanad in a valley surrounded by mountains and beautiful forests. It is 32 km away from Manathavady.

History:
There exists documentary proof that Thirunelli at the time of Chera king Bhaskara Ravi Varma I (962–1019 CE) was an important town and pilgrim center in south India. In the dense jungles surrounding temple, the ruins of two ancient villages can be found. Excavations at the time of paving roads have yielded period coins from the 9th and 10th centuries. Noted historian V. R. Parameswaran Pillai in his book Thirunelli Documents clearly states that this temple was once an integral part of the early history of North Kerala.

Mention In Puranas And Folklore:
The name Thirunelli derives from the nelli, the Malayalam/Tamil word for Indian gooseberry of the Amla tree. Veda vyasa wrote the 18 existing Puranas. The Matsya Purana, Skanda Purana, Narasimha Purana, Padma Purana, and many other Puranas and Hindu texts mention the beautiful Vishnu temple as being built by Lord Brahma, located in the picturesque Sahya valley, deep in the middle of forest of unmatchable beauty, and in these texts, it is referred to as "Sahyamalaka Kshetra." According to tradition, Lord Brahma was traveling round the Earth upon the Hamsa, when he became attracted by the beauty of the area now known as Brahmagiri Hill. Descending on that spot, Brahma noticed an idol set in an Amla tree. Brahma recognized the idol as Lord Vishnu Himself and the place as Vaikuntha (Vishnuloka) itself.

With the help of the Devas, Brahma installed the idol and called it Sahyamalak Kshetra. At Brahma’s request Vishnu promised that the waters of the area would wash away all sins. (Thus, the spring and river near the temple is called Papanasini: “washes away all sins”). Even today the head priest of the temple leaves a portion of the worship materials in the belief that Lord Brahma Himself will come and perform pooja rites deep in the holy hours of morning. The famous incarnation of Lord Vishnu Parasurama is reputed to have visited Thirunelli and performed last rites at the death of his father sage Jamadagni. He also took immersion in the Papanasini to wipe away sins committed in killing Kshatriyas.

Relation With Other Temples And Legends:
Kottiyoor Temple and Trisillery temple are inextricably linked with legends and folklore to Thirunelli temple. There exists an old route which traverses Narinirangi Mala to connect with Trissilery Maha Deva Lord Siva temple. In earlier days, all devotees who visited Trissilery used to undertake the arduous crossing of Narinirangi mala to pay respect to Lord Vishnu and Brahma at Thirunelli. The journey was fraught with danger and might have been comparable to hardships of early Sabarimala pilgrimages.

Surroundings:

• Papanasini: Emanating from the heart of Brahmagiri flowing through roots, leaves and flowers of ancient trees and medicinal herbs, Papanasini is a holy mountain stream accessible around 1 km northwest of the temple premises. One dip in the cold Papanasini waters in reputed to wash away all sins committed in a lifetime. It is further believed that Papanasini is the confluence of the rivers Ganges and Saraswathy.
• Panchatheertham: Panchatheertham is the holy temple pond. One notable feature of the temple is the lack of a temple well. Hence water is transported from a perennial mountain stream deep in the valley by impressive stone aqueducts right into the priests' room. Thirunelli is famous as the destination to perform last rites of the deceased at the rock close to Papa nasini stream.

Guruvayur

Guruvayur Sri Krshna Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to god Krshna, located in the town of Guruvayur in Kerala state, India. It is one of the most important places of worship for Hindus of Kerala and is often referred to as "Bhuloka Vaikunta" which translates to the "Holy Abode of god Vishnu on Earth". The idol installed at Guruvayur Sri Krshna Temple represents a form of Krshna with its four arms carrying the conch Pancajanya, the magical discus with serrated edges Sudarsana Cakra, the mace Kaumodaki and a lotus with a boly basil garland.

This idol represents the majestic form of god Vishnu as revealed to Vasudeva and Devaki around the time of Krishna; hence Guruvayur is also known as "Dwaraka of Southern India". Krshna is popularly known in Kerala by different names such as Kannan, Unnikkannan ("Baby" Kannan), Unnikkrshnan, Balakrshnan, and Guruvayurappan.

Chottanikkara

The Chottanikkara (corruption of Jyotiannakkara) Temple is a famous temple of the Hindu mother goddess Bhagawati. The temple is located near Ernakulam in the southern Indian state of Kerala and is one of the most popular temples in the state and in terms of temple architecture,this temple stands out to be an ultimate testmonial for the ancient vishwakarma sthapathis (wooden sculpture) in sculpting this temple along with Sabarimala. Bhagawati is one of the most popular deities in the area, Chottanikkara Devi is worshipped at the temple, in three different forms: as Saraswati in the morning, draped in white; as Lakshmi at noon, draped in crimson; and as Durga in the evening, decked in blue.

Lord Shiva is also worshiped at the temple. People suffering from mental illnesses commonly visit the temple, as Bhagawati is thought to cure her devotees. One should not miss the 'Guruthi Pooja' in the 'Keezhkkaavu' temple at Chottanikkara. This is a ritual done at late evening to invoke the goddess. Earlier 'Guruthi Pooja' was done only on Fridays. But nowadays, it is performed everyday.

Kodungallur- Ernakulam

The western entrance of the temple is on the Kodungallur- Ernakulam highway. This temple is said to be more than 2,000 years old and is remarkable for its number of representations of Shiva. There is a Namaskara Mandapam, with 16 pillars, which is in front of the Shrikovil. The Utsavam is held in the Malayalam month of Kum­bham (Feb-Mar), during which the festival of Shivratri is celebrated in a grand manner. Aanayottam is conducted as part of the festival. Devotees attend the Palli-yara pujas, held just before the temple closes in the evening, on full moon nights, to pray for a happy married life and to be blessed with children.

Ettumanoor Mahadeva temple

Ettumanoor Mahadeva temple 

is an ancient Shiva temple in Kottayam, Kerala, India. It has brought glory and fame to the place. Myths have it that the Pandavas and the sage Vyasa had worshipped at this temple. The name of the place has its origin from the word 'manoor', which means the land of deer. The present temple building, with its gopuram and the fortress around it, was reconstructed in 717 ME (1542 AD). There are Dravidian mural paintings on the walls inside and outside of the main entrance. The fresco of Pradosha Nritham (Dance of Shiva) is one of the finest Wall painting in India. There is a golden flag staff inside the temple.

On the top of it is the idol of a bull surrounded by small bells and metal leaves of the banyan tree and in terms of architecture this temples stands out to be an ultimate testimant for the vishwakarma Sthapathis, for their engineering skills. The temple roofs are covered with copper sheets and it has 14 ornamental tops. Bhagavati, Sastha, Ganapathy and Yakshi are installed here as subordinate deities. It is believed that the great philosopher, Adi Sankaracharya wrote 'Soundarya Lahari' while staying in the temple. 

Ettumanoor Mahadeva Temple hosts the arattu festival celebrated on a grand scale on the Thiruvathira day in February–March every year. Lot of people come to this temple on the 8th and 10th day of the festival when seven and half elephants (in Malayalam: ezharaponnaana) made of gold (nearly 13 Kgms) will be held in public view. This statue was donated to the temple by a travancore maharaja. The temple, one of the wealthiest Devaswoms in Kerala, has many valuable possessions. The Thulabharam is one of the important rituals of this temple. People make offerings to God for favours received. On balance, the child or man for whom offerings were promised to God, is weighed against offerings ranging from gold to fruits.

Aranmula Parthasarathy

The Aranmula Parthasarathy 
Temple is one of the "Divya Desams", the 108 temples of Vishnu reverred by the 12 poet saints, or Alwars located near Aranmula, a village in Pathanamthitta District, Kerala, South India.

The temple is on the left bank of the Pampa River. The sacred jewels of Ayyappan (Thiruvabharanam) are taken in procession to Sabarimalai each year from Pandalam, and Aranmula Temple is one of the stops on the way. Also, the Thanka Anki (golden attire) for Ayyappa, donated by the king of Travancore, is stored here and taken to Shabarimala during the Mandala season (late December). Aranmula is also known for the watersports involving a spectacular procession of snake boats. It is also linked with legends from the Mahabharata.