Sabarimala Temple

Sabarimala Temple Latest News

President Droupadi Murmu recently made a historic visit to the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala, becoming the first woman head of state to offer prayers at the renowned hilltop shrine.

About Sabarimala Temple

• Located in the Western Ghats in the Pathanamthitta District of Kerala, the Sabarimala Sree Dharma Sastha Temple is an ancient temple dedicated to Lord Ayyappa. 
  • Ayyappa, also known as Dharma Shasta, is the son of Shiva and Mohini, the feminine form of Vishnu.
• The temple is situated on a hilltop amidst 18 hills at an altitude of 4,134 ft above sea level.
• It is surrounded by mountains and dense forests that are a part of the Periyar Tiger Reserve.
• It is not open throughout the year. 
• It is one of the largest annual pilgrimage sites in the world, with an estimated 40 to 50 million pilgrims visiting the temple every year, especially during the annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku season. 
• It is said that the pilgrims have to follow a 41-day vratham (austerity period) before going to Sabarimala.
• It is one of the few Hindu temples in India that is open to all faiths.
• There is a place near the temple, east of Sannidhanam (the abode of Lord Ayyappa), dedicated to Vavar (a Sufi and a close friend of Lord Ayyappa) which is called Vavaru Nada, an epitome of religious harmony.

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Sabarimala Temple Architecture

• It showcases a beautiful blend of traditional Kerala and Dravidian architectural styles. 
• The main temple stands on a 40 feet high plateau and consists of a sanctum sanctorum with a copper-plated roof and four golden finials, two mandapams, and a flagstaff. 
• The main staircase to the Sabarimala Temple is made up of 18 sacred steps.

Sabarimala Case

• Women in their ‘menstruating years’ (between 10 to 50 years) were customarily prohibited from entering the temple.
• In 2018, the Supreme Court ruled that the Sabarimala temple’s exclusion of women aged 10 to 50 was unconstitutional.
• The verdict triggered widespread protests and remains under review by a larger bench.

Source: IT