The Sabarimala Sree Dharma Sastha Temple (Malayalam: ശബരിമല ശ്രീ ധർമ്മ ശാസ്താ ക്ഷേത്രം) () is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Sree Dharma Sastha where the deity is worshipped as Lord Ayyappan, the son of the deities Shiva and Mohini (female avatar of the god Vishnu), and is situated atop the Sabarimala hill in Pathanamthitta district of Kerala, India. The temple is surrounded by 18 hills in the Periyar Tiger Reserve. 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.
The temple is open for worship only during the days of Mandala Pooja (approximately 15 November to 26 December), Makaravilakku or Makara Sankranti (14 January), Maha Thirumal Sankranti (14 April), and the first five days of each Malayalam month. The Sabarimala Temple serves as a prime example of the amalgamation of several religious traditions within the Indian context.
Origins and legends Legend of Manikandan Sage Suta told his followers the story of how Ayyappa was born, according to Bhutnathopakhyanam, a text for Ayyappan followers. After Goddess Durga killed the demon Mahishasura, his sister Mahishi arrived to take revenge on the devas (gods). After Mahishi performed a severe tapasya, Brahma was pleased with her and gave Mahishi a boon that made her invincible, with the condition that only a human born of Vishnu and Shiva could kill her. Knowing that Vishnu and Shiva would never bring forth a child, Mahishi became arrogant and seized the earth and heavens, brutally killing all who worshipped a god. The gods were afraid and helpless, so they sought assistance from Vishnu. The union of Shiva and Vishnu, who took the avatar of Mohini, produced a son named Manikandan (the one who has a bell tied to his neck).
Manikandan was abandoned on the banks of the Pampa River in southern India. The emperor Rajashekhara of the Panthalam dynasty, who was childless, found this child. In the meantime, the queen delivered a baby. The prime minister disliked Manikandan and devised a scheme to eliminate him. He asked the queen to lie about her sickness, claiming that she could only be treated by consuming tiger's milk. Twelve-year-old Manikandan ventured into the wilderness in search of tiger's milk for his adoptive mother. On his journey through the forest, he killed Mahishi. The gods were pleased at Mahishi's death. Indra, Agni, Varuna, Vayu and Kubera appeared before Ayyappan and told him that they would help him. The gods transformed into tigers, which Manikandan used to return to the kingdom. As soon as Rajashekhara saw Manikandan accompanied by tigers, Rajashekhara found out the truth behind the prime minister and proceeded to punish him, but Manikandan stopped him from doing so, stating that he had hastened the divine mission of killing Mahishi. Rajashekhara then bowed before Manikandan, who said that he needed a temple to live in. Manikandan asked his father and the citizens to accompany him. Manikandan shot an arrow into the sky. The arrow eventually landed at the summit of the Sabarimala hill, and Manikandan asked the king to build only 18 steps from the ground to the summit and then ascended to heaven.
Rajashekhara thought that 18 steps from the ground to a tall hill was impossible. Parashurama appeared before him and told the king he would help him build the temple. The temple was eventually built, and Parashurama installed a holy stone idol of Manikandan. The idol depicts Manikandan as Ayyappan, seated in a yogic posture, his right hand displaying the abhaya mudra, his left hand resting on his left thigh, his legs bound by a cloth and seated on a pedestal.
Legends related to other deities
Valiyakadutta Swami (elder Kadutha Swami) and Kochukadutta Swami (younger Kadutha Swami), both legendary generals in Lord Ayyappa's army. Valiyakaduttar led the Pandalam kingdom's army, while Kochukaduttar, a skilled warrior from Injiparai Kalari, became his aide. Together, they fought bravely, destroying Udaya's Injiparai fort in the Karimala battle. In the battle, Kochukadutta fought the war despite losing both legs. When Ayyappa returned to his Samadhi at Sabarimala, Kochukadutta chose to stay and serve there. His shrine is located near the Malikapurathamma shrine. The Valiyakadutta shrine is located to the left of the Pathinettaampadi (Holy steps).
Karuppu Swami & Karuppai Amma were forest-dwellers who assisted Lord Ayyappa in defeating Udayan and are revered for their own supernatural powers. A shrine dedicated to them is located on the right side of the Pathinettaampadi.
Connection with Rama
Shabari was a tribal devotee of Rama who is mentioned in the Ramayana. Sabarimala literally translates to "the hill of Sabari."
As per legend, Shabari met Sage Matanga near the foot of Mount Rishyamukha. He became her guru, and she devotedly served him for years. When Matanga was on his deathbed, he foretold that Rama would come to grant her darshan. He told her to wait for the arrival of Rama. Since that time, Sabari would leave her ashram each day only to gather berries for Rama. She would pick one, taste it, and place it in her basket if it was sweet, discarding the bitter berries because she wanted Rama to have only the sweet berries. While searching for Sita, Rama visits Sabari at her ashram. Sabari fed Rama with the berries that she had collected. The place in Sabarimala where its believed that Rama gave moksha to Sabari is called Sabari Peedam.
Rama saw a divine person doing penance and asked Shabari to tell him who it was. Shabari said it was Shastha (Ayyappan). Shastha also met and greeted Rama.
The temple
History The Sabarimala temple does not have any ancient or medieval references. Nevertheless, there are extant late medieval references pertaining to the temple.
The Pandalam royal family drafted a mortgage document in 1793. It states that the royal family is pledging the revenue returns, which encompass the income generated by the Sabarimala Temple, to the Tranvancore state.Pandalam adamaanam, Malayalam year 969, in T.K. Velupillai, Travancore The earliest surviving written records referencing the Sabarimala temple date back to the 1818, when Lieutenant B. S. Ward provided a description of the temple and noted that approximately 10,000–15,000 devotees attended the five‑day annual festival in January, indicating that the shrine was already an established place of worship by that time. In 1863, Ward and Conner published an article that provided a description of Sabarimala and its vicinity.
In the year 1902, the ruler of Travancore issued a directive for the restoration of the Sabarimala temple, which had suffered damage as a result of a fire incident. Kochummen Muthalali of Polachirackal family, a Mavelikkara resident of Christian faith was awarded the reconstruction contract and carried out the reconstruction. A later reference appears in the Travancore State Manual, compiled by V. Nagam Aiya and published in 1906, which similarly records that over 10,000 pilgrims visited Sabarimala during the annual Mandala Pooja season. In 1929, Diwan Bahadur L. A. Krishna Iyer in his article On some aspects of the worship of Sasta mentions 40,000 pilgrims attended the temple during Makaravilakku.
In the year 1950 the temple was rebuilt after an arson attack. No charges were brought, and the earlier stone image of the deity was replaced by a panchaloha (an alloy of five metals) idol, about one and a half feet tall.
Neelakanta Panicker and his younger brother, Ayyappa Panicker, who are members of the Thattavila Vishwakarma family in Chengannur, Kerala, created the Panchaloha idol to replace the original stone statue of the deity. Edavankadan T.N. Padmanabhan Achari from Mavaelikkara was appointed the supervisor in charge of the new idol by Rajpramukh Sree Chithira Tirunaal Balarama Varma. In the early 1950s, through P. T. Rajan efforts, the present panchaloha idol of Ayyappan was installed at Sabarimalai, and a procession was taken all over Madras state.
In 1969, the flagstaff (dhwajastambha) was installed.
Architecture and shrines
The Sannidhanam (main temple) is built on a plateau about 40 feet high. The temple consists of a sanctum sanctorum with a gold-plated roof and four golden finials at the top, two mandapams, and the balikalpura, which houses the altar.
The Pathinettaampadi, the 18 sacred steps are the main stairway to the temple. As per the custom followed, no pilgrim without "Irumudikkettu" can ascend the 18 sacred steps. In 1985, the 18 steps were covered by Panchaloha. The temples of Ayyappan's trusted lieutenants, Valiyakadutta Swami is located at the left of Pathinettampadi and the Karuppu Swami & Karuppai Amma is located at the right of the Pathinettaampadi. The northern gate is open for those who do not carry an "Irumudikkettu", as observed in the 1991 Kerala High Court judgement.Kerala High Court (5 April 1991) Bench: K Paripoornan, K B Marar; Source: (accessed Sunday 1 May 2016)
Ayyappan's half-brother Kannimoola Ganapathy's shrine is southwest of the sanctum. Devotees offer part of the broken coconut (Neythenga) to the fireplace (Azhi). Ganapati homam is the main offering. The temple of Maalikapurathamma, whose importance is almost on par with that of Ayyappan, is located a few yards from Sannidhanam. It is believed that Ayyappan had specific instructions that he wanted Malikappurath Amma on his left side. Prior to the fire damage, there was only a Peeda Prathishta (holy seat) at Malikappuram. Brahmasree Kandararu Maheswararu Thanthri installed the idol of Malikappurath Amma. The goddess holds a Sankh, Chakram and Varada Abhya Mudra. The idol is now covered with a gold golaka. The temple was also reconstructed in the last decade, and the conical roof and sopanam are also covered with gold.
Pilgrims, after the Darsan of Ayyappa and Kannimoola Ganapathi, proceed for their darshan of and give offerings to Nagaraja. The shrines of Nagaraja is in front of the Manimandapam. The shrines of the hill deities is on the left, behind the Malikappurathamma temple.
The Manimandapam is the place where the arrow shot by Lord Ayyappa landed, which he chose as his abode. Its walls are adorned with brass plates depicting embossed scenes and stories associated with Lord Ayyappa. The Manimandapam is open to devotees for only six days during the Makara Vilakku festival.
Administration
The Sabarimala temple is currently administered by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), a statutory autonomous body constituted under the Travancore‑Cochin Hindu Religious Institutions Act XV of 1950. The Board is responsible for managing temple properties, rituals, festivals, and pilgrim welfare.
Historically the members of the Mala Araya tribal community, around the Sabarimala claims to have performed rituals at the Sabarimala shrine prior to the arrival of Brahmin priests. According to tribal leaders, until the 19th century the Mala Arayas conducted rites such as the thenabhishekam (bathing of the Ayyappa idol with honey) and the lighting of the Makara Jyothi before these practices were replaced by Brahmin ritual forms administered by priests from the Thazhamon Madom family. Tribal representatives have further claimed that the Mala Araya community was displaced by the Pandalam royal family in the 1800s, and that Brahminisation of rituals followed, with the Thazhamon family taking over priestly duties after this period. Thazhamon Madom, during the King's rule appointed was the traditional priest of Sabarimala Temple. Tantri is the highest priest and is the head of the temple. It's the duty of the family to decide on religious matters relating to Sabarimala shrine. Tantris are to be present in all ceremonial Poojas and functions to be held at temple premises and functions associated with temple.
As of November 2025, after Kerala High Court order, Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) allows 5000 devotees per day.
Religious Practices