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Pathanamthitta

Sabarimala

The Sabarimala Temple festival is celebrated in honour of Lord Ayyapa who is revered by all in India.
Sabarimala is a renowned pilgrim centre atop the rugged hills of the Western Ghats. This holy shrine is dedicated to Lord Ayappa. The main pilgrimage is undertaken between November and January.

There are two main rituals called the Mandal Puja and the Makara Sankranti Puja, which is celebrated from November to mid-January in Kerala during which time, the devotees perform austerities and penance.

The Pilgrimage

Devotees undergo rigorous penance and austere living before starting on the pilgrimage. Regardless of caste, creed and colour they wear black dhoties and carry on their heads, bundles containing traditional offerings like coconuts filled with ghee, camphor and rice.

The temple dome is covered with gold and the devotees break the coconuts before climbing the steps.

Among the pilgrims, there are a few who are undertaking the pilgrimage for the first time while ther are a few who have been doing so for the past many years.
The first timers are known as 'Kanni Swamis' and the leader of the group is known as 'Guru Swami' or the lead person of a team who is incharge of all the rituals.

Devotees take a ritual bath while climbing up the hill in the holy river Pamba, which absolves one's sins. En route at Erumeli, in a supreme instance of communal harmony, they pay obeisance at the shrine of Vavar, a Muslim deity believed to be a close ally of Lord Ayyappa.

To ease the ardour of the long trek through the forests to the temple at the peak of the Sabari Hills, devotees constantly chant the name of the holy one. No women in the fertility age group are allowed into the precincts of the shrine of the Lord who is considered to be an Eternal Bachelor.

Chandanakudam Festival The Chandanakudam Festival of the Patthanamthitta Muslim Jamaat Mosque held in February, every year attracts thousands of devotees. The Chandanakudam festival of Kattoor Mosque in Cherukole Panchayath and Kalamala Mosque near Adoor are also famous.

Charalkunnu Charalkunnu is a picturesque hill station from where one can have a panoramic view of the low-lying areas including that of the sinuous river, Pumpa. There is a comfortable camp house, which has both rooms and dormitories.

Cherukolpuzha An important religious convention of the Hindus is held at Cherukole on the riverbed of Pampa usually in February every year.

Kakki Kakki reservoir, set in sylvan background, is a 'tourists' delight. The splendid artificial lake offers exhilarating boating experience. The surrounding forest abounds in tigers, elephants, deers and monkey.

Kalloppara St.Mary's Church at Kalloopra stands in close proximity to the Bhagavathi temple, which is an admirable example of communal harmony. There are two granite slabs inside the church with some inscriptions in Pali language.

Kaviyoor The Kaviyoor Mahadeva temple, which was constructed in the early years of the 10th century, is one of the oldest of the Mahadeva temples in Kerala. References are there in the Kaviyoor Shasanas of 950 A.D. about the gifts that were offered to this temple. But it is believed that the 'Darusilpas' seen around the temple belong to the 17th century.

Malayalappuzha The Bhagavathy temple here is believed to help people realise their dreams. People bring offerings in different forms during the festival. There are also beautiful wall paintings and artistic stone works.

Manjinikkara The holly Patriarch of Anthioch, while on his visit to India, died at this place in 1932. His mortal remains are kept in this church. Later this place was developed into a place of pilgrimage, Even today, pilgrims, Indians as well as foreigners, visit this place frequently. The important festival is in February every year when devotees flock in thousands.

Neendakara 8 kms north of Kollam on the Kollam-Alappuzha route, it is a major fishing harbour and the headquarters of the Indo-Norwegian Fisheries Project set up inn 1953 AD. This collaborative venture pioneered modern fishing methods in Kerala.

Niranam 7 kms from Thiruvalla. It is famous for the church, believed to be among one of the seven and a half churches originally established by St. Thomas in Kerala. This church displays a marked influence of ancient temple architecture.

Omallur The Rakhtakanta Swamy Temple and the annual cattle fair held in the Malayalam month of 'meenam' are the main attractions of Omallur. People from both within and outside participate in the fair.

Thenmala Nearly 66 kms east of Kollam, it's a scenic spot at the intersection of the Kollam-Shencotta and Thiruvananthapuram-Shencotta roads. A number of rubber and tea plantations lend a touch of civilization to the otherwise virgin landscape. Large consignments of timber are exported from Thenmala. The dam site here is an added tourist attraction.