The trek to the holy hill temple of Ayyappa starts from the river Pamba. A pilgrim usually starts the journey to Sabarimala after a holy dip in the river Pamba. First there are initial steps to reach the Pamba Ganapathy temple. There are around 50-60 steps. Most people feel very comfortable with these steps without knowing what is in store for them. After one climbs these steps one can find shrines of Ganapathy, Ram, Hanuman, Parvathy and Nagar. The Ganapathy idol in this place is quite big when compared to the normal Ganapathy idols. After you cross these shrines you enter a small mandapam or resting shelter. Here, pilgrims take rest before the climb and also while returning after the climb. A little descent from this place will lead you to a tender coconut shop (a well known landmark in this place). In fact this will be the only descent that one would see in the next 2 hours or so. Moving further from this shop, one can find two paths splitting. One is the traditional path through the Neelimala, Appachimedu hills and the other is through the slopes of Neelimala. The latter is called the Subramanya path or the Swamy Ayyappan road. The Swamy Ayyappan path is the easier one out of the two as it is far less steep and it passes through dense forests which provide a natural shade to the pilgrims. The Swamy Ayyappan road has a lot of hair pin bends and this path is primarily used by the temple authorities to transport goods from Pamba to Sannidhanam and is also used by Dolly carriers. Having said this, the Swamy Ayyappan road is 1.5-2 kms longer than the usual route. Therefore most pilgrims prefer the Appachimedu route for their onward journey and the Swamy Ayyappan road for the return journey. Now coming to the traditional path, this path has a lot of history associated with it. As one moves a little forward into the traditional path one can reach the base of the hills. Here people light camphor and incense sticks to mark the beginning of their upward journey. This is the first hill that needs to be crossed by the pilgrims to reach Sabarimala from Pamba. This hill is called Neelimala.
The Neelimala is a
massive hill rising to around 4000 feet from the mean sea level. It is rightly
called as "Neeli Perum malai"which is a reference to the might of
this hill. A long sheltered path welcomes the pilgrims. For the first 2-3
minutes the climb is just manageable. After the initial 200 metres, Neelimala
shows its true colours. A pilgrim travelling to Sabarimala for the first time
will be awestruck by the steepness and the might of Neelimala. The gradient of
the climb keeps on increasing minute by minute and at one stage the gradient
becomes almost 60 degrees. The key to climb this hill effectively is to move at
a slow pace without rushing and taking constant breaks in between. The iron
railings installed on the sides provide some respite from the very steep
gradient. After travelling some 1.5-2 kms one reaches the Neelimala cardiology
centre. In this place emergency medications and treatment is given to ailing
pilgrims. Resting spots with benches are provided in some places. Pilgrims can
also get medicated water which is provided by the Ayyappa Seva Sangham
volunteers. However most of these facilities are present only in peak seasons.
It is advisable that a pilgrim carries at least a litre of water while trekking
from Pamba to Sannidhanam. Moving forward the same story continues. The arduous
climb to reach Ayyappa is definitely not over yet. The path becomes more
challenging than before. The cemented road that was present earlier now becomes
an irregular rocky terrain. Huge rocks are cut and placed in an indefinite
pattern to add on to the toughness. The worst part is that, this path is deadly
slippery during rains. Therefore one needs to ascend really carefully in this
part. It is definitely not a cakewalk
for the pilgrims. Pilgrims continuously chant Sarana goshams to garner strength
from time to time. Even the fittest of the pilgrims will be exhausted after the
first 1 hour or so. One good thing about Neelimala is that it consists of 8
bends from the bottom to the top. So a first timer can never judge the hill by
just looking at the path. The beauty of the hill lies in the fact that every
time you climb this hill you tend to get new challenges and experiences. After
climbing the mighty hill for an hour or so, one reaches a point called
Appachimedu.
Appachimedu is the topmost point of
Neelimala. This point serves as a resting place for pilgrims after the strenuous
climb of Neelimala. Appachimedu provides a beautiful view of the surrounding
hills. It has deep valleys on both the sides. They are called Appachikuzhi and
Ippachikuzhi. Pilgrims throw off rice balls here to calm down the evil spirits.
After this offering pilgrims continue their journey. The Appachimedu climb is
even more steeper and trickier. There are a lot of bends in the steep path in
this region. In fact, this Appachimedu trek was once considered the toughest
part of the entire Sabarimala pilgrimage. The Appachimedu climb lasts for
around 2 kms. Fortunately the temple authorities have taken steps to reduce the
gradient in this part and have also laid a number of concrete steps. Without
these steps the climb would be even more exhausting. As pilgrims move forward,
they get to hear some sound of crackers in the vicinity. This is again one of
the offerings here in Sabarimala called the Vedi Vazhipadu. As the pilgrims
hear this sound they are pleased to the core as they understand that the
Appachimedu climb is almost complete. After completing the Appachimedu climb
one would have crossed the hill Neelimala. Now the pilgrim actually stands on
the top of the hill Neelimala. The next significant point is the Sabari Peedom.
The Vedi Vazhipadu that the pilgrims would hear during their last lap of the
Appachimedu climb is actually from this place. This Sabari Peedom is dedicated
to a lady called Sabari, a devotee of Rama and after whom the hill is named.
The Sabari Peedom is nothing but a small shrine with a flat rock inside. Now
the challenging part of the trek is over. The area after Sabari Peedom is where
Neelimala ends and Sabarimala (Mount Sabari) starts.
After Sabari Peedom the pilgrims
can take a leisurely walk to a place called Marakootam. This place has a lot of
small shops and restaurants to cater to the needs of the pilgrims. This is also the place where the two routes
to the holy hill intersect. The Subramanya path intersects at this place. After
Marakootam there are again two divisions in the path. One route is through
Saramkuthy and it is a little challenging. The other route is through the
Chandranandan road which is again a flat path. The Chandranandan road starting
from Marakootam is a little longer when compared to the Saramkuthy path and is also
infested with a lot of leaches. One also gets to see some rare species like the
forest squirrel, some variety of langurs, birds etc. in this path. Pilgrims
opting for the Saramkuthy route need to climb over a small temporary flyover
kind of a structure to reach this path. Mostly during peak seasons the pilgrims
will be directed through the Saramkuthy route by default. The Saramkuthy route
is stony and rocky in some places but the gradient does not bother the pilgrims
to a large extent. Several new developments have been made to this path
recently. Queue complexes have been constructed for proper crowd management.
After walking for around 2 kms one reaches Saramkuthy. Saramkuthy is a place
where first timers to Sabarimala place a bow (saram) in a tree marking their
arrival. The main temple of Ayyappa is not so far away from this place. As the
pilgrim crosses the Saramkuthy there is a gentle descend. After this descent
one can reach the main queues. The pilgrims from the other route also join in
this place. Moving forward a huge shed welcomes the pilgrims and one can sense
that the temple complex is nearby. This place is called the Nadapanthal. After
the Nadapanthal the pilgrims will have to cross a flight of steps.
Next comes
the most important part of this entire Sabarimala pilgrimage “The
Pathinettampadi or the Holy 18 steps". At the very sight of the holy steps
pilgrims chant sarana goshas with utmost devotion. Pilgrims break coconuts that
they carry in their Irumudi on either sides of the Pathinettampadi. Only
pilgrims carrying the sacred Irumudi bag are allowed to climb the holy steps.
Climbing the Pathinettampadi is a feeling that cannot be explained but has to
be experienced. Tears of joy roll down the cheeks of pilgrims on climbing the
holy steps. After this the pilgrims need to take a flyover to reach the main
shrine of Lord Ayyappa. Almost everyone waiting in the queue have a common
motive of getting a glimpse of their favourite deity to seek his blessings. The
sarana goshams increase and one can feel the vibration as he nears the sanctum.
On the very sight of Ayyappan one loses himself completely. Some 10 feet beyond
the queue, Ayyappa sits there in a yogasana pose with a chinmudra in one hand.
The divinity of that entire place is realised only after having a glimpse of
this deity. What a powerful place it is!!All your egos are blown away at that
moment. One completely surrenders before the almighty. A sense of
accomplishment is there in the minds of the devotees after witnessing the child
like innocent form of Ayyappa. After all, all the challenges and difficulties
one faced during the vratha period and during the climb was for the sole reason
of getting His darshan. Even though the shrine of Ayyappa is the focus point in
Sabarimala, there are also shrines of Kanni Moola Ganapathy, Kochu kadutha
swamy, Valiya kadutha swamy, Vavar and Nagar within the temple complex. The Malikapurathamma
shrine can be accessed through a flyover that is present at the exit of the
main Ayyappa shrine. Devotees can opt to spend the night in Sabarimala or can
trek down to the base on the same day. Most pilgrims prefer to stay overnight
as they would be performing the Neiyabishegam to Ayyappa only in the mornings. Neiyabishegam
is quite a unique thing that is associated with the Sabarimala pilgrimage.
After performing the Neiyabishegam the pilgrims can start their return journey
by breaking a coconut near Pathinettampadi. There is a newly developed route to
divert the crowd during the peak seasons. This route is called the Sarana Sethu
route. It connects one halfway down the Chandranandan road. The route is very tedious
with many ups and downs. Many pilgrims do not take this path because of this
reason. Even though this route is concreted one can find a large number of
thorns in it and it is also frequented by boars. It is better that one takes
the same route through which one made the upward journey. The return journey
would be a leisure walk for around 2.5 kms till the Sabari Peedom. Then comes
the actual challenge. Pilgrims need to descend down the steep mountain ways of
Appachimedu and Neelimala to reach the bottom. The sheer loftiness of the hill
make pilgrims wonder how they made it to the top. In fact the actual steepness
of the hill is clearly visible during the descend. Your legs start to move
downhill without your control and that is when you put in a lot of pressure to
curtail that movement. The descend downhill almost requires 75% of the energy
that one used for the climb uphill. The downhill becomes seriously difficult
and challenging during rainy seasons. It is advisable that first timers take
this trek during bright summer months and not during the rainy months. The
slippery nature of the hill forces one to carefully move down the hill taking
one step at a time. One wrong step and you would roll down to Pamba! Alternatively pilgrims can take the Swamy Ayyappan
road which is an enjoyable descend through the forests with a comparatively
flatter gradient. One can descend down the hills at a leisurely pace connecting
with nature in this path. The downward journey takes one and a half hours on an
average. Pilgrims become cheerful on the sight of the transformer on the base
of the Neelimala as that marks the end of the trek. The pilgrims reach Pamba
and return home with a content heart and a lot of memories. Swami Saranam!!
