To encourage myself, i have started the posting of my next blog the very same day when i completed and published my first blog. Life runs like that right? [You need to make your surrounding interesting, whether it is work or personal life, only then you can live your life.]

Swamiye saranam Ayyappa. From the day i was born, i have been hearing this holy words. It has now become a part of me. A staunch devotee of lord ayyappa, my father has been traveling to Sabarimala for the past x years [I don't want to give a rough number, as far as i know, its more than 38 years now.]

I went to sabarimala for the first time during my 5th standard. That was with my grand mother and my cousin. During those days, the trip to sabarimala was during the month of april. Vishu, a kerala festival comes during the month of April and it is very auspicious to visit the temple during that time period.
The trip was a memorable one. I was literally enjoying it. It was through the short route. There are two type f routes to reach sabarimala. One is a short route where you have to climb only 1 mala [Neeli malai] to reach sannidanam. The other one is a long route wherein you have to climb up and down of three hills [Azhutha, Kari & Neeli hills]. The long route is very arduous and will take around 2~3 days.
We started to climb the Neeli hill at around 4:30pm. It is considered as one of the steepest hills. But i did not realize that during my first trip. It was very simple for me. On the way i visited the Saram Kuthi, where i pierced the saram. All first timers to sabarimala has to pierce a saram at this place. [It is believed that the Maligapurathamman(Mahishi when killed and relieved of the curese became maligapurathamman and wanted to marry the lord) will come every year to saram kuthi and check if there are any sarams. Lord has promised her that he will marry her when there is no saram during a year. Till date every year, maligapurathamman has returned back with grief.]

People say that, Lord Ayyappa, also known as Manikandan was a very small boy and he likes children a lot. And children will not feel the pain of climbing the hills to see the lord. In other words, the lord will make the trip smooth for the children so that they don't get tired.
May be, the above told reason made my trip very simple. We reached the sannidanam at around 6:30Pm, had a good dharshan of the lord and returned back. It was a 3 day trip.

That was my first trip to sabarimala. After that i traveled through short routes and long routes every year. [I missed it during my 8th standard as my grandpa passed away and during my 12th, i had to study!].
The trips have been of great experience to me. Every trip was a memorable one. To see him was the only motto.
Long route trips usually take 10 days. During those days, our group visits many other temples en route and returning from sabarimala. But during recent years, it has been reduced to a 1 week trip. One of those memorable trips were when i went with my chithappa. This was a long route trip.
The irumudi was on a sunday evening. There were around 45 ayyappas. The irumudi got over on sunday night, we stayed at the chathram and started early morning by a bus. The bus went through palani [The abode of Lord muruga] to reach erumeli. At every rest area, we cooked our food. We were taking all the necessary vessels and food items for cooking.

At Erumeli, we visited the vavar nada and Erumeli dharmasastha and started our walk. On the first day evening, we walked to around 3 hours to reach kalakatti vanam. We stayed in a viri. Viri is a rest area, don't expect big facilities, its just a place, covered on top with plastic sheets to protect from rain. for that night.
The next day we started to walk early in the morning at around 5:00AM. We reached Azhutha river, had bath, i had to take a stone from the river which is a ritual for first timers [That was my first time in long route and so i also took it] and started climbing the Azhutha hill. We reached Kallidam kundru, where i had to throw the stone. The belief is to throw the stone here and suppress the Mahishi's [asura killed by ayyappan] body.
And then, we again continued the climb to reach azhutha hill top. Wow, hill top is the best place to get fresh air and breeze. That too after a strenuous climb, it was very refreshing. We rested for a while and continued to climb down the hill . Down hill is simpler but risky. If you slip, you are gone.
Climbing down the hill we reached Mukkuzhi. We halted there for some time. Then we started our walk againa. This time it was on plains. From Azhutha hill to Kari hill. It was complete plains. We reached the bottom on Kari hill in the evening. We halted in viri, there was a bhajan and we had dinner. The next day we got up at 4:30 AM and started climbing the kari hill.
There is a popular rhyme "Kari malai etram kadinam kadinam" [The meaning is, "Climbing Kari hill is difficult, very difficult"]. I experienced it live for the first time. But while climbing, we were telling Ayyappa's name and the journey was not that stressful. We reached the kari malai top, took some rest and started to climb down the hill. Climbing down the steepest of hills is a very difficult and challenging one. Each step you take, you need to make sure you got a strong grip and then move forward. The time taken for climbing down the kari malai was the longest of all.
Climbing down the hill, we reached Valiyaanai vattam. A place near the holy pamba river.

We rested in viri, kept all our irumudis, went to the river pamba, took bath. Had our lunch and at arounf 4:00 in the evening, started towards Neeli mala.

Climbing neeli mala this time was very difficult for me. ooooh it was tiresome. How did i make it so easily during my first visit? This question is still awaiting an answer!!!!!

On the way to the hill top, we visited the Appachi medu. From the hill top, we walked and reached Sabari peetam. There was a long queue from here to sannidanam. Thats when i saw he real huge rush. Sabari peetam is around 3 kms from the sannidanam. We waited in the queue which moved very slowly. On the way we visited saram kuthi and reached sannidanam in the evening at around 6:30 PM. We climbed the holy 18 steps and had our darshan.

The next day morning, we did Ghee Abhishekam. On that day was Makara sankaraanthi. On makara sankaranthi, every year, the lord will show his presence to the world in the form on Makara Jyothi [A bright glowing light]. I was very lucky that time. K.J.Yesudas, a popular singer had visited the sabarimala at the same time. We had a chance to see him. We had a small chat with him and i went with him to see the makara jyothi.
That was the first time for me to experience the makara jyothi. The Jyothi appears on Kaandha malai. It appears for three times. No one knows how this happens. This very event has made me a staunch believer of the lord. And from that day, till date, i firmly believe that he is always with me. He has proved it at various parts in my life.

It is not your wish that will take you to Sabarimala and get his darshan. If he thinks, you should be visiting him and getting his darshan, he will make you come to him. Hope i get his calls throughout my life !

My only prayer would be to always have his thinking in my mind.

More to come........

Swamiye saranam Ayyappa.