Mandalam Started - Sabari mala Energetic

The Mandala season started on the Malayalam month of 'VRISChIKAM' 1st which fell on the 17-11-14. The Temples of Kerala has become active like the Ramayana Maasa season - Karkataka month. Of course the 'Vraths' and worships are slightly different for the 2 season. Karkataka season is for 1 month where the main worship is by reading or hearing Ramayana parayanam (reading). Mandalam is for 41 days. All the temples will be active by devotees thronging to offer their worships and the pilgrims to Sabarimala covering prayers in many of these temples throughout Kerala.

The main temple visited by the devotees is undoubtedly the Sabarimala Ayyappa Swamy temple. Devotees observe Vrath like taking bath 2 times, and whenever goes out takes one more time bath on return home. They offer prayers to all gods with more emphasis to Lord Ayyappa, the Dharma Sastha twice daily. These days the devotees will be teetotalers i.e no use of liquor, non-veg items, tobacco etc and abstain contact with ladies. It is a period for purification of the mind and intellect. At the last portion of the Mandalam Vratha devotees proceed to have the darshan of the Lord Ayyappan at Sabarimala. Overwhelming majority of the Kerala population is directly or indirectly involved in the seasonal worship. The temple here, unlike other temples is open to people of faiths. A cosmopolitan worship center.

I have detailed blogs on Sabarimala at:

http://www.spiderkerala.net/resources/9023-Holy-river-Pampa-Pampa-vilakku-legends.aspx

http://www.spiderkerala.net/resources/9013-Sabarimala-Ayyappa-temple-pilgrims-getting.aspx

http://www.spiderkerala.net/resources/8867-Why-Irumudi-kettu-Sabarimala-pilgrimage.aspx

http://www.spiderkerala.net/resources/8866-What-Mandala-Vratha.aspx

http://www.spiderkerala.net/resources/8865-What-Sabarimala-Mandala-pooja.aspx

http://www.spiderkerala.net/resources/8860-What-Sabarimala-significance.aspx