Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Thiruvabharanam

Had a wonderful opportunity last week to visit Pandalam and have the dharshan of Lord Sastha and the holy Thiruvabaranam at the Palace. I was there at the premises almost for the whole day and from what I heard there - I thought of sharing with our readers...

Thiruvabharanam the sacred ornaments of Sastha which is brought to Sabarimala temple during Makara Sankramana. The ornaments are made of pure gold. It is traditionally in the hands of the Pandalam King, who adopted Ayyappan as his child.

While I was waiting near the Sri Kovil, one person was telling "These Abharanams were actually worn by Ayyappan".... Oh God... Devotees... please understand first -what are all there in the Abharana Box and then give your statements....

If one carefully observes the Thiruvabarana - its a a very great myth breaker....

Let me explain
Myth No 1. - The ornaments are worn by Ayyappam
Myth No 2. - Sastha is a bachelor

Thiruvanbharanam set comprises of three caskets. ie they are called main Thriuvabharanam box, the Velli Petti and the Kodi Petti. 

Main Thiruvabaram Box : Box 1

The Main Thiruvabaranam box which is given into the Sactum Santorum of Sabarimala is suppose to have the following items in it... (and now we see only a very few of these)

Thirumugham - Face of Sastha
Prabha Mandalam
Valia Churika (Dagger - Big)
Cheria Churika (Dagger - Small)
Aana (Elephant) - 2 (idols)
Kaduva -(Tiger) 1 (idol)
Velli Kettia Valampiri Sankh - 1 (Conch shell right handed spiral - with silver)
2 Roopams of Poorna and Pushkala 
Poothattam (A ceremonial plate for carrying flowers)
Navarathna Mothiram (Navarathnam ring)
Sarapoli Mala  - necklace
Vilwa Mala - necklace made of golden vilwa leaves
Mani Mala - necklace made of navaratna
Erukkum Poomala - necklace made of golden erukkum poo

Velli Petti : Box 2
Thaila Kudam for Kalasam
Pooja utensils

Kodi Petti : Box 3
Netti Pattom for the elephant
Flags of Talapara and Udampara
Mezhuvatta Kuda and other items for the elephant

Now coming to our Myth that its Ayyappan's own ornaments- how can Ayyappan wear a Golden Face mask ?  Though not found now, even the golden Vilwa mala is suitable only for decorating the Lord and not for wearing it normally... 

And the Abharanams are meant for Sastha and not for Ayyappan's personal use( i mean during his human incarnation) because in the Thirumukham - face you find a wonderful Meesai - Mustache ( whereas Ayyappan's human life was maximum 12 or upto 16 years according to some other versions )

So the Abharanams are meant only for decorating the idol as instructed by Ayyappan and not actually used by Ayyappan... 

And the Thiruvabharanams has the roopams of Poorna Pushkala which makes very clear that Sastha is with Poorna Pushkala - this might have been the original form which was installed earlier in Sabarimala.. 

Later after the human incarnation of Ayyappan - and destruction and resurrection of Sabarimala temple over a period of time, the present form of Yoga Sastha might have originated...

Everything said and done the Abharana Darshanam was a wonderful Vision of my life time... My mental state was in ecstasy and beyond description... and which gave a heart full of Satisfaction which will last long for ever

Monday, February 7, 2011

THE LONG ROUTE TO SABARIMALAI


The Following article is written by Late Brahmasri V. NILAKANTA IYER - one among the Trios of Sabarimala who were instrumental in spreading the Ayyappa Cult in Tamilnadu

THE LONG ROUTE TO SABARIMALAI

Kottayam is a town on the Ernakulam Quilon line of the Sourthern Railway.  It is a big commercial Centre and a bus terminus.  From Kottayam, a road goes east to Kumuli, Going twenty-six miles from Kottayam along this road, you come upon a road branching off to the south.  Travelling six miles along that road, you come to a town called Erumeli.  Erumeli is now a fairly well developed town.  But some three to four decades back, it did not look like a town at all.  It stood on the border of the old Travancore forests.  Now there are rubber estates all round it.

Erumeli is a pilgrim centre.  The Majority of pilgrims going to Sabarimalai touch Erumeli before proceeding to their destination; 'Kottappadi' (Gateway) to the forest is there.  At Kottappadi, there is a Mahaganapathy installation.  To the west of it installed “Vavar”, Dharma Sastha's lieutenant.  On the western side of the stream coursing through Erumeli, Dharma Sastha is installed as a Kiratha (Hunter).  Most of the pilgrims going to Sabarimalai, go the Erumeli where they obtain permission from Mahaganapathi at Kottapadi to trek their track, pay their respects to Vavar and make offerings at his Mosque, surrender themselves at the feed of Kiratha Sastha and join his battalion there.  While returning from Kottappadi, the pilgrims return in the guise of hunters, bringing home bagged game to be surrendered at the Lord's feet-the game bagged, being the 'Ashtaragas' in them.

Sabarimalai is a hill on the western ghats, four thousand feet above sea level.  Of the famous eighteen important Sastha shrines on the western ghats, the most famous is the one at Sabarimalai.  The distance from Erumeli to Sabarimalai is said to be forty one miles, though actually it is only thirty-eight miles now, as there are several-cuts enroute. 

Four miles to the South -east to Sabarimalai is the confluence of the rivers 'Kallar' and 'Pampa'.  This place is called 'Triveni' as Kallar is regarded as the 'Jamuna' and 'Pampa' as the 'Ganges' and 'Saraswathi' is believed to join in flow from underneath even as at 'Prayag' in Allahabad.  Four miles east of “Triveni” is a place on the bank of the Pampa called 'Chalakkayam'.  A good tarcreted road, fit for all vehicular traffic joins Chalakkayam and Triveni.  Many people go to Sabarimalai via Chalakkayam.  Now the Vehicular traffic terminates at the Bank of Pampa.

Normally tweleve, but really fourteen miles north-west of Sabarimalai is the Mount Estate.  Crossing the estate by bus or other vehicle or by track, you come to Vandiperiyar a bus terminus, on the Kottayam-Kumuli Road.  Many piligrims go the Sabarimalai by this route also.

Besides the three routes mentioned above, there are other routes to Sabarimalai.   'Thalapparai' route and 'Pathanamthitta' route are rarely used by pilgrims.  The 'Ponnambala Medu' route and the 'Dam Site' route are seldom used by pilgrims.  The forest track from 'Achenkoil' to Sabarimalai is not used at all by pilgrims.

The three routes most used by piligrims to Sabarimalai are the thirty-eight miles long route from Erumeli, the Chalakayam route and the Vandiperiyar route.  Of these three, the first is the traditional route.  That was the route by which the Lord, as per the story, went for leopard's milk for the cure of His jealous foster-mother, the Queen's affected ailment.  That was the route, which when he followed, he was met by Lord Siva's Boothaganams which turned into leopards and leopardesses.  Indra himself turning into tiger for him to ride on, back to Pandalam.  That was the route by which king Rajasekhara went to the spot pointed out to him by the Lord's arrow for construction of the Shrine.

Fifty-two years back, when I first went to pilgrimage to Sabarimalai, the route was a narrow track through jungles and forests overgrown by grass and prickly herbs in some places, full of ruts and sloughs in some places, overhung by creepers and climbers in some places and so narrow the people could walk only in single file in some place.  Not much distance could be covered by people by marching in columns two or three deep.  The pilgrims then could be counted in hundreds. 

In November 1937, His Highness the Maharaja of Travancore issued the famous temple entry proclamation throwing open all Government temples and all the temples under Government control to all Hindus for worship, irrespective of Caste.  Following this there was a steady increase in the number of Sabarimalai pilgrims year after year.  Then they had to be counted in thousands.

In 1947 when our Constitution vouchsafed freedom of speech to us, that freedom was misused in many places for anti-religious and anti God propaganda.  The lord of the Sabari Hills then fulfilled Himself by creating circumstances in several States outside Kerala to attract pilgrims.  The pilgrims thronging to Sabarimalai have to be counted in Lakhs (and now in millions).

As the Annual number of Sabarimalai pilgrims increased, the 'Maramath' section of the Travancore Devaswom Department arranged with the Maramath Engineer to fill up the ruts and sloughs on the long track, to widen it to some extent, to clear the track and its both sides by cutting away the growing vegetation, by easing the curves and by making the ascends and decends less steep.  In this the department was very much assisted by the Ayyappa Seva Sangham.  The annual maintenance of the route, I am told, is now mainly done by the Akhila Bharatha Ayyappa Seva Sangham and partially by the Devaswom Department.

All  forests upto Azhutha river and a little beyond have now been cleared.  People could go upto Azhutha in jeeps till a few years back, Now they can go upto Pampa in jeeps.

There are three festive occasions at Sabarimalai every year – MANDALA VILAKKU, MAKARA VILAKKU and VISHU.  From about the middle of November till about the end of December there will be many pilgrims going tand returning from Sabarimalai.  The same will be the case from the beginning of the first week till the end of the third week in January.  This phenomenon will repeat betweeen the tenth and fifteenth April.

Erumeli, Chalakayam and Thriveni will also be very busy in connection with the festive occasions at Sabarimalai, the vast majority of pilgrims that go to Sabarimalai for Makaravillakku, choose the long route to trek.  Even most of the people hiring buses and other vehicles for their trip alight at Erumeli and trek the long trek directing their vehicles on particular dates to go to Chalakkayam  or Vandiperiyar as the case may be, to pick them on their return.

While the vast majority of pilgrims going to Sabarimalai for Makaravilakku choose the long track, the vast majority that go for Vishu, choose the Chalakayam route though most of them touch Erumeli also.  Regarding the pilgrims that go for Mandala Vilakku, their route may almost be the same by the long route, the Chalakkayam route and Vandiperiyar route.

The vast majority of the pilgrims that go to Sabarimalai by the long route and the Chalakkayam route invariably choose to return via Chalakkayam.  A good number of them return via Vandiperiyar.  Comparatively not many return by the long route.

The pilgrims trekking the long route have to cross seven streams and climb eighteen hills in the course of covering thirty eight miles.

The first stream they have to cross is 'Perai Thodu' – two miles east to Erumeli, though now a bridge has been thrown across.  On the western side of the streams, there is an old elephant cage in dilapidated condition, in which elephant caught from forest by pitfall, were shut up and tamed.  This is called 'Anakotil'.  Many pilgrims stay one night at 'Anakotil' before proceeding further.

The first hill the pilgrims have to climb is the Perai kunnu.  Going up eight hundred feet, they climb down five hundred feet on the other side to reach the foot of the hill, thus finding themselves at a height of three hundred feet.  In the case of all the eighteen hills the ascends are more than the descends on the opposite sides.  Thus each hill represents a step.  These eighteen hills correspond to the eighteen steps on the eastern side of the Sabarimalai temple leading upto its precincts.  Each hill-top is called a “Fort:.  Each fort is guarded by an 'Amnaya Devatha” of the Lord and is fit for the pilgrims' camping during night enroute.

A sanctity, a divinity is associated with the long route.  The pilgrims trekking the route are said to be in the safe custody of Devi and Bhoothanatha.  From Erumeli upto the top of the Azhutha Hill, Devi is said to be safeguarding the pilgrims.  From the top of the Azhutha Hill to the top of the Karimalai, Bhoothanatha is said to be so safeguarding the pilgrims.  From the top of Karimalai to Pampa, Devi is again said to take charge of the pilgrims and from Pampa to Sabarimalai, Bhoothanatha is said to take charge again.

Rheum, phlegm and pile are in the human system in a certain proportion.  According to Ayurveda, when there is a laxity or superfluity of any one or more of these in the system, diseases are caused.  A trek of the long route helps to cure such diseases to a certain extent.  From 'Perai Thodu' to the Azhutha hill, all the flora on either side are curatives of rheumatic troubles.  The transpiration of the flora makes the atmosphere medicine charged.  In the course of trek, you breathe more times than ordinarily and so more air of the medicine-charged atmosphere enters your lungs than usual.  It will be good if you spend one night in that atmosphere.

A twelve mile walk from Erumeli to Azhutha must make a pilgrims' muscles and joints ache.  A dip in the Azhutha river-which flows a long distance over a bed of  'Karim Kuringi' a specific curative for rheumatism and a massage under water will relieve him of such aches.  This has been the experience of many.

Form Azhutha Hill to Karimalai all flora, consisting of gooseberry, gainut etc are curatives of phlegm troubles.  A night stay in that atmosphere is also desirable.

From Karimalai to Sabarimalai, all flora consisting of Rudraksham, Bhadraksham, Akil, Sandal etc are curatives of pile troubles.  All water you get there, flows over beds of iron in that atmosphere the pilgrims stay at Pampa and Sabarimalai.

After crossing Perai Kunnu you come to a place called “Arayakudi” The place is so called, because a few “Arayans” (tribals) have settled their abodes there.  Beyond Arayakudi, is a wide, deep valley.  The valley and the region beyond is called “Koyikka Kavu”.  At one end of the valley there was a lake.  Koyikka Kavu was an elephant habitat.  The elephants, besides drinking from the lake used to bathe and wallow in it.  The other denizens of the forest also drank from the lake.  Since the clearance of the forests there the lake has completely dried up.

Beyond 'Koyikka Kavu' eight miles away from Perai Thodu is “Kalaketti Ashramam.  Two miles from it, is the 'Alasa' river now called 'Azhutha'.  As the story has it, the Lord went to Devaloka in the month of , 'Panguny (Meenam) when the 'Uthram' star was in ascendancy, caught the demoness “Mahishi' by the horn and threw her down on the earth.  The body is said to have fallen on the eastern side of Azhutha.  The Lord came down and danced on the body.  When she died, 'Leelavathi' absolved of her sins, emerged from “Mahishi's body.  Lord 'Siva” and 'Parvathi', coming on their riding bull and tethering it to a tree, witnessed 'Mahishi Mardanam' destruction of evil-from Kala Ketti.  Hence the sanctity of the place.  Sabarimalai pilgrims who have haunts of evil spirits, offer coconut and camphor at Kala Ketti for their relief.

Nearly a two miles trek brings the pilgrims to the Azhutha river.  Almost all of them have a dip in the river and get refreshed.  Many pilgrims have a night camp on the bed on either bank of the river.

Almost every pilgrim that starts Erumeli makes some purchases or other from the 'Pettai' there.  Each novice pilgrim-first year pilgrim or 'Kanni' as he is called-purchases a toy-shaft, each second year pilgrim, a toy wooden club, and each third year pilgrim, a toy wooden sword.  Each pilgrim buys a mat woven with sized screwpine leaves for him to sleep on.

While immersed in the water in Azhuthai, each novice pilgrim is asked to take a small pebble from the bed and keep in with him.  This he is asked to deposit at 'Kallidum Kunnu'.  Fording cross the river, the pilgrims start climbing the Azhuthai Hill or Azhutha Medu' as it is called.  Going up a little more than half of this 'Azhutha Medu' you come upon a curve to the right, to the south.  At the corner of the left curve, is a big flat rock.  That is said to be 'Kallidum Kunnu'.  The novice pilgrims are asked to deposit there the pebbles they picked up from the bed of river.  It is believed that they are putting them to inter the body of 'Mahishi'.  In these days heaps of pebbles help the pilgrims to know the track also.

Climbing up the 'Azhutha Medu', the pilgrims reach the top at the northern end of a small plateau.  This places is called 'Udumpara Kottai'.  Many pilgrims have their night halt there.  There they do poojas and bhajans.  Many pilgrims take ash from hearths there and smear it all over the body, from head to foot.  Bhoothanath' is believed to be the presiding deity there and the Bhoothaganams are supposed to dance in and around all fires, lit up there and so the ashes are their Prasadams.  Besides, the wood burnt there is all medicinal.  This 'Prasadam' is believed to be a curative for epilepsy.  Coconuts and camphor are also offered there.  The Ayyappa Seva Sangham has arranged for the supply of spiced boiled water to the pilgrims at 'Udumpara Kottai'.

Leaving further, the pilgrims reach the southern end of the plateau.  It is called 'Inchipparakottai'.  There, the presiding deity is believed to be Devi'.  There also some pilgrims have night halts.

After Inchipparakotti, the descends begin.  At the foot of the hill, the place is called “Mukkuzhi”.  It is so called because, to the north of the track of the spot, there were three big pits dug, forming a triangle to be covered with thin planks and strewn over with sand and dry leaves to catch elephants.  Now only one pits is clearly seen.  Many pilgrims have night halts at “Mukkuzhi” also.

There is another route, though a little longer, from “Azhuthai to Mukkhuzhi”.  This circumscribes “Azhutha Medu” on the northern side and takes you to 'Mukkuzhi'.  The piligrims going by this route can avoid climbing up and down the 'Azhutha Medu' though they have to walk a little longer.

From Mukkuzzhi is a long trek till they come to 'Elavan Thavalam' where they can have a halt if they want.  Then they, go on to 'Puthu Cheri' and “Karivalam Thodu”.  Now-a-days many pilgrims halt at “Karivalam Thodu” though formerly none ever halted there.

Leaving Karivalam Thodu, the pilgrims proceed to the foot of 'Karimalai', climbing seven terraces, they reach its top.  Many have a night halt on the top of 'Karimalai'.  Pilgrims do poojas and bhajans there.

On the top of Karimalai, there is a perennial spring, believed to be the result of a thrust of the Lords arrow into the ground, to find water for his following.  The spring is now a well walled, six feet well, with steps to go in and come cut.  It is now covered with planks.  The water in the well is now taken out, well boiled and spiced and distributed among pilgrims by the Ayyappa Seva Sangham.

Climbing down Karimalai, you come to the right bank of the river 'Pampa'.  Walking past Cheriyanavattam and 'Valiyanavattam' you reach 'Pampa'.  Where all pilgrims halt for one day atleast, if not more.

The pilgrims absolve themselves of all sins by dipping in the Pampa.  They do poojas and bhajans there.  They do religious rites to propitiate departed ancestors.  They feed as many people as possible.  They give away clothes and money as much as possible.

Absolved of all sins, the pilgrims go up 'Neeli Malai', climb up 'Appachi Medu' and reach Sabari Peetam.  The first, second and third year pilgrims bringing toy arrows, toy clubs and toy swords are asked to deposit them at a place, where a huge pipal tree stood.

It is a good many years since the tree has fallen down.  That was the tree which the Lord's arrow struck when he shot it to show the king Rajasekhara, the spot for the construction of his shrine as he had enjoyed.  That place past, the pilgrims walk up to Sabarimalai, climb up the Holy Eighteen Steps and reach the DIVINE PRESENCE

Friday, February 4, 2011

Wearing Ornaments during puja


I believe God is against pride but we see some people always wear Colorful and rich Jarigai Veshti / Sarees and adorn themselves with all kinds of jewels during pooja - as if to show their pomp. 

I think God loves only simplicity - so is this necessary ? But I heard your lecture CD - yours words were supporting wearing these ornaments and jewellary wile doing pooja

Which is right ? please clarify

Ramachandran
Manglore
----------------------------------------------------------

Please understand one thing - 

That We Obey Rules Blindly Does Not Mean that We should Blindly follow it... 

A man was appointed for guard duties in a temple. He used to sit on the gate of the temple and ensure that no one enter in the temple with shoes on. There was a board at the gate, "Please remove your shoes before entering in the temple." He enforced the rules with utmost sincerity.

A man came walking without shoes and tried to enter in the temple. The gatekeeper denied him the entry. "Why?" The man argued," I am not wearing any shoes. How can you deny me entry?"

"Read the rules. It requires that you have to first remove your shoes before entering in the temple. So please go home and wear a shoe, remove it here and then only you can enter in the temple." Came the reply from the gatekeeper.

Most of us may find the gatekeeper a fool because he was enforcing the law without properly understanding it. This is what happens to most people when they try to follow the laws blindly without proper understanding.

Being simple is different and wearing ornaments during puja is totally different. It is not for showing pride... Wearing Shaggy clothes doesnt mean one is without pride. Suppose if you are having an appointment with a VIP of your city- you dress up neatly. This is not to show-off but to make you presentable... 

When you think you need to be presentable for an ordinary human being then what about the Creator of the Universe? It is nothing wrong in wearing these dresses and ornaments and decorating yourself - pleasing to the Lord

Moreover Swarnam and Rajatham (Gold and Silver) are depicting Aishwaryam - So you are wearing the ornaments and do puja to the deities--only by whose grace we have come to possess the Aishwaryam(ornaments)

Just imagine - suppose your grand parents are very fond of you and have gifted you a new dress. Definitelty you would wear them and go and meet them. This is not pride or showing off. This is a sense of expressing happiness.

The God has given you the Aishwaryam and you -wearing those ornaments and you are showing your gratitude and happiness by doing puja with hands that wear ornaments. 

You might have seen Acharya of Shringeri during Navarati Utsavam - where he used to be in Raja Alankaram wearing crown and Ornaments.

In fact in Shrividya Upasana kramam - it is a must that one must decorate himself fully and only then sit for puja. 

Lord Parasurama who is an exponent of Shrividya has written in his book Parasurama Kalpa Sutram:

yaaga mantram kluptaa akalpa: sankalpaa aakalpo vaa

ie A person doing puja should wear those ornaments(kluptaakalpa:) and do the puja in the pujaroom(yaaga mantram).

So it is not pride or showing off - instead its a very nice gesture that  a person is wearing rich clothes and ornaments while duing puja or yagna.

So - the next question may arise.. This can be followed only by rich people?

Parasurama gives the answer "sankalpaa aakalpo vaa" ie for those who cannot afford to wear ornaments, when they do the puja to God, they should mentally imagine wearing these ornaments. 

This in turn will get the person - not only the divine blessing but also the actual comforts of the material life. 

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Kanthamalai and Ponnambalamedu

Can u clarify about sacred ponnambalamedu and kanthamallai. Is there is any temple over there ?
- a devotee
----------------------
Kanthamalai and Ponnambalamedu - both are two different entities..

As Ive already explained it here

Kanthamalai is not a place which exists in the physical plane. Its like Kailasam and Vaikuntam... they exist but you cannot see them...

Sasthru lokam is known as Tejovathi or Mahakaalam and at this Sasthru lokam- the hill in which the Lord resides is known as Kanthagiri or Kanthamalai. 

Kanthamalai is a place which exists in the Sukshma Plane and cannot be seen with the naked eyes.. 

It is in this Kanthamalai the Supreme Lord Maha Sastha resides with Poorna and Pushkala, His eternal consorts and all his devotees reach this FINAL ABODE and worship him there...


Just like we say "Sri rangam" as Bhooloka Vaikundam and Chidambaram as Booloka Kailasam - Since one cannot reach here directly,  some people consider Ponnambalamedu to be the Kanthamalai of Bhoolokam..


But please be clear Kanthamalai is totally different... Ponnambalamedu is one among the eighteen hills that surround Sabarimalai...

Ponnamblamedu - the mound of pon ambalam - Golden Temple....



It is the most sacred and divine place... The spot is very sacred and the divinity charged there in the atmosphere is beyond imagination..

The rahasya behind is - it is actually the spot where Parasurama installed the Adhi Moolasthanam - Temple of Sastha (Which probably might have been in Gold - as the name suggests)

Later during the historic age, this temple was destroyed and looted by a dacoit named Udayanan..  during this time the advent of Ayyappa took place who annihilated Udayana and instructed the then Pandalam Raja to construct the Dharma Sastha temple - the present temple - where it is situated now. When the temple was rebuilt - Ayyappan finally merged with the jothi which appeared at Ponnambalamedu

(I am not elaborating this wonderful history of Sabarimala and Arya Kerala Varman here.. If devotees are interested to read please let me know - I shall write the detailed story as a series later)


Few years ago, when I was doing research for my book Shri Maha Sastha Vijayam - while discussing with Shri Viswanatha Sharma, he shared me his experiences there and showed me the photographs taken at the ponnambala medu..

We dont find any temple there now.. I was told that there were ruins of a temple- but nothing is to be seen now... today we see a yantram with "XX" beejam engraved there...

There is also a pond there named as Seetha Kulam and there is a cave just below the concrete platform - which is almost not reachable now... 

I personally have a feeling that apart from this concrete platform which is seen now the holy spot is elsewhere - but very closely located in the vicinity... 


And it is holiest of holy spots and it is not an adventure or testing the divinity.. so most of the devotees wont venture to go there...

Kaanthamalai vaasane Sharanam Ayyappa.... 
Ponnambala Vasane Sharanam Ayyappa...

Again Makarajothi

Makarajothi is the hot topic again....

A news item was published after the meeting at Trivandrum, where the Board President Rajagoplan Nair had said something regarding "man-made"

And again many have started giving interviews and opinions - even when no one cared for it...The best part is within few minutes the wikipedia page has been updated and written "Makara Jyothi is a man-lit fire"



Some people have expressed their feeling that they are not ready to believe this; Some people say that they have lost their faith...


Many of my friends and devotees called me and "expressed their disappointment(???!!!)" over the issue....and said they have decided not to come for jothi hereafter...

But the best part to be noted is not even a single person said "i have lost faith in God"... This is Bharatham ! This land is a land of rich heritage and culture built on a very strong foundation called faith...

My dear devotees... who are we to bother or worry? As I already said, without His will not even the electron inside an atom can move... So when things are happening, it is happening according to His will. A true devotee is least bothered with all these issues....

People who come to sabarimala as a picnic, who think sabarimala as yet another temple, who wear maala on the previous day and people who come for the sake of coming - they may have some problem in understanding and digesting these issues..
A true devotee who follows the Vrutham sincerely, for whom Sabarimala is his home, for whom Ayyappan is everything - they dont have any problem....

This is the thathwa of sabarimala - when u see Ayyappan in everything - when that though process is instilled in the mind - HE SEES AYYAPPAN IN THE JYOTI - he is least bothered whether it is man made or God made...

NO ONE IN THIS WORLD CAN SHAKE THIS TRUE FAITH .....

We are eargerly awaiting and planning the yatra for next year 2012's Jothi Darshanam !!!

I once again conclude with my same golden words - "FAITH BEGINS WHERE REASONING ENDS"

---------------------------------
You can also read this post
Wonderful approach on this issue by Sri Sastha Gopal