Shayana Pradikshanam devotional practice of pilgrims at Sabarimala
In the Indian state of Kerala, only 10 degrees above the equator, is a
land of steep mountains thickly covered with splendid tropical forests.
The early people of this region, of a Dravidian ancestral stock, lived
amongst the trackless valleys and roaring streams in small tribal
groups. Farming little, they hunted in the teeming forests, and their
primary deity, Ayappa, was a youthful forest god. Various legends
explain the birth of Ayappa (also known as Dharmasasta). One begins with
Shiva roaming the mountain kingdoms of the Himalayas. There he sees a
lovely maiden and, overcome with desire, makes passionate love with her.
But the maiden is married to another man, a tribal chieftain who vows
revenge on the god. The tribal chieftain retires to an ice cave in the
high mountains and practices austerities for a thousand years. Through
these austerities he gains great psychic powers and finally goes forth
to punish Shiva. From the heights of Mt. Kailash, Shiva sees the tribal
chieftain approaching. The chieftain looks like a terrible demon and
Shiva, overcome with fear, calls on the god Vishnu for assistance and
protection. Vishnu manifests himself as a beautiful damsel, seduces the
demon chieftain, and destroys him. But then Shiva, once again overcome
with sexual desire, sees the radiant damsel (who is merely Vishnu in
another form) and mates with her. Out of this union comes a baby boy
named Ayappa. Embodying the qualities of both Vishnu and Shiva, Ayappa
is an avatar (divinity in human form) born into the world to battle the
demons of the hill tribes of Kerala. Shiva tells the magical child of
his dharma-life (a life of service), and leaves him upon the bank of a
mountain stream where he is discovered by a childless tribal king.
Brought up by the king, Ayappa does many miracles, is a great healer and
a defeater of demons. After fulfilling the purpose of his incarnation
Ayappa entered the inner sanctum of the ancient temple upon sacred Mt.
Sabari and disappeared. During his mythical life, Ayappa kept the
company of tigers and leopards. Mystics living in the deep forests
surrounding the Sabarimala Mountains have for a thousand years reported
seeing Ayappa riding through the jungles upon a majestic tiger.
The shrine of Sabarimala is one of the most remote shrines in
southern India yet it still draws three to four million pilgrims each
year. Before beginning the multi-day walk through the mountain jungles
to get to Sabarimala, the pilgrims prepare themselves with 41 days of
rigorous fasting, celibacy, meditation and prayer. Finally arriving at
the shrine, the pilgrims will wait in line for hours, even days, to have
one or two seconds in front of the image of Ayappa. After seeing the
deity, many pilgrims will complete a vow called Shayana Pradikshanam. In
the Malayalam language of Kerala, Shayana means “body” and Pradakshinam
means “revolution,” so Shayana Pradakshinam means “revolution with the
Body.” This devotional practice is done not only in Sabarimala but also
in other temples in Kerala.
The Sabarimala shrine is only open a few times each year: the
Mandalam festival covering 41 days from November 15 to December 26; the
Makaravilakku from January 1-14; on Vishu, the day of the vernal equinox
in April; and during smaller festivals in May/June and
August/September. The shrine, unlike many in southern India is open to
persons of all religious callings, and there are no caste restrictions
during the pilgrimage. However, women - unless they are younger than six
or older than sixty - are not allowed to come to Sabarimala. This is
explained by referring to the celibacy of Ayappa and the concern that he
might be lured away from his shrine by a woman his age (if certain
readers find this somewhat sexist, they are informed that there are
particular goddess shrines in south India which men are forbidden to
enter). It is said that during the pilgrimage periods no tigers are
found along the forest trails leading to Sabarimala. This is explained
as resulting from Ayappa’s power over tigers. Other holy places
associated with Ayappa are Kulattupuzha, Aryankavu, Accankovil, and
Kantamala.
Additional notes on SABARIMALA and AYAPPA
The information given above was taken from different books on the
Sabarimala shrine. After putting these writings on the web site, I
received the following material from a reader of the web site,
Geetha Krishnan.
This new material, relating to the legend of Ayappa, is somewhat
different than what I had written. This sort of difference in legend and
myth is something quite common in the study of sacred places, and
therefore I have included both versions of the Ayappa myth. Thank you to
Geetha Krishnan for this alternative myth.
Shiva does not call upon Vishnu after mating with a tribal woman. The
story goes that Shiva gives a boon to an asura (a demon) that allows
him to merely touch a person on his head and he will fall dead. The
asura then thanks him and wants to try out the boon on Lord Shiva
himself. In fear, Shiva runs and calls upon Lord Vishnu for help. Lord
Vishnu in the guise of the beautiful maiden Mohini, which literally
means "enchantress" or "seductress", approaches the asura. She questions
him about why he is chasing Shiva. The asura tells her how he has
received this boon and wanted to test it on Shiva himself. Mohini tricks
the foolish asura by telling him that the boon was really ineffective
and Shiva did not want him to know that. If he wanted, he could test it
on himself. The asura placed his hand on his own head, believing her,
and he falls dead. Shiva is very grateful towards Vishnu but is
enchanted by his female form. They have the child Ayappa to satisfy the
demigods' plea to save them from the torments of the demon Mahishi.
Ayappa is then raised by the King of Panthala, Rajashekharan, a truly
royal king not a tribal king, who was childless. Right after adopting
the child Ayappa, whom he called Mani Kanda, meaning ‘one who wears a
bell around his neck’ (for the child was found wearing a small bell on a
chain around his neck that attracted the king's attention who was out
on a hunt with his men), the king has a child of his own. When Ayappa
was about to reach age, the queen feared that her own child would lose
his right to the throne, so with the minister of the court, she schemed
to murder Ayappa. She faked being ill saying that her stomach was in
unbearable pain. The minister bribed the court physician to say that the
only remedy would be a female tiger's milk. Ayappa, willing to do
anything for his mother, goes on the dangerous mission alone to get the
milk. Instead, he meets Mahishi and slays her. The gods in happiness and
joy assume the form of tigers and accompany back to the palace to give
the so-called needed milk remedy. Upon seeing this, the queen confessed
her schemes and begs forgiveness from the young prince. Ayappa,
forgiving his mother, takes upon the right of celibacy and leaves the
palace to reside on Sabarimala. Women are not allowed to go to the
temple, not in fear that Ayappa might leave the shrine, but that women
will desire and fall in love with the beautiful celibate god. They are
allowed after they have reached menopausal age.
For further information on the pilgrimage to Sabarimala, consult:
Gangadharan, N.;
Pilgrimage to Sabarimala; in Pilgrimage
Studies: Sacred Places, Sacred Traditions; The Society of Pilgrimage
Studies (Dubey, D.P. editor); Allahabad, India; 1995
