Sabarimala Temple
Hindu temple in Kerala, India / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Sabarimala Sree Dharma Sastha Temple[1] (Malayalam pronunciation: [ʃabəɾimala]) is a Hindu temple that is devoted to the worship of a deity named Ayyappan, also known as Dharma Shasta. Ayyappan is believed to be the son of Shiva and Mohini (Female avatar of Lord Vishnu).[2] The temple is situated atop a hill in the village of Ranni-Perunad, within the Ranni Taluk of the Pathanamthitta district in the state of Kerala, India. The temple is surrounded by 18 hills in the Periyar Tiger Reserve.[3] It is one of the largest annual pilgrimage sites in the world, with an estimate of over 10 to 15 million devotees visiting every year.[4][5][6][7]
Sabarimala Sree Ayyappan Temple | |
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Religion | |
Affiliation | Hinduism |
District | Pathanamthitta |
Deity | Ayyappan |
Festivals | Makaravilakku, Makara Sankranti (14th January) |
Governing body | Travancore Devaswom Board |
Location | |
Location | Sabarimala |
State | Kerala |
Country | India |
Geographic coordinates | 9°26′04.6″N 77°04′53.0″E |
Architecture | |
Type | Kerala Architecture (Traditional Kerala Vastu Shastra) |
Creator | As per tradition Vishwakarma, Pandhalam King Rajasekhara, (sculptor) is believed to be Parashurama |
Completed | 11th century; the temple site is older |
Elevation | 1,260 m (4,134 ft) |
Website | |
sabarimala |
The temple is open for worship only during the days of Mandala Pooja (approximately 15 November to 26 December),[8] Makaravilakku or "Makara Sankranti" (14 January), and Maha Thirumal Sankranti (14 April), and the first five days of each Malayalam month. The Sabarimala pilgrimage includes a unique tradition of offering prayer at the mosque of Vavar, a Muslim devotee of Ayappan.[9] The Sabarimala Temple serves as a prime example of the amalgamation of several religious traditions within the Indian context.[10]
In the year 1991, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was initiated, leading to the Kerala High Court issuing a directive to the Devaswom Board to uphold the traditional practises of the temple. These practises encompassed the prohibition of women of a certain age group, rather than a blanket exclusion of women, from accessing the temple premises.
On September 28, 2018, the Supreme Court of India rendered a decision, wherein a panel consisting of four male justices and one female judge voted by a majority of 4-1 to invalidate the prohibition on female entry inside the temple, where the female judge, Justice Indu Malhotra, voted in favor of the prohibition.