A Y A P P A. Sabarimala

For those who want to see a slide-show Instead

2007-12-14T18:37:00.000+01:00

Ayappas
envoyé par clodreno

Home going. Madurai. Tamil Nadu

2006-11-07T14:15:00.000+01:00

Sri Meenakshi temple Gopuram in the background.
He was securing luggages on the roof of the TATA Sumo, going to Andhra Pradesh

Praying.Madurai. Tamil Nadu

2006-11-07T14:12:00.000+01:00

Later, after I did the pilgrimage to Sabarimala I did find pilgrims coming back from it. They were from Andhra Pradesh and going home were stopping in temples alongside the road. Madurai was one of those stop. taken in the fabulous Meenakshi temple, praying Lord Hanuman.

Going Away. Pampa. Kerala

2006-11-07T14:10:00.000+01:00

End of the road. Pampa. Kerala

2006-11-07T14:09:00.000+01:00

Pilgrims are heading toward the bus stand...

Free food. Sabarimala. Kerala

2006-11-07T14:08:00.000+01:00

At the end of the pilgrimage, pilgrims get free food from the organisation.

Coconuts. Sabarimala. Kerala

2006-11-07T14:07:00.001+01:00

The pilgrimage is beautifully organized. A lot of policemen and sometime they do need to
relax a bit and drink some fresh coconut.

Artificial legs. Sabarimala. Kerala

2006-11-07T14:05:00.000+01:00

This man was starting the climb as I was getting down.
He had two artificial legs.

A begger. Sabarimala. Kerala

2006-11-07T14:04:00.000+01:00

A lot of people going down the mountain after the celebrations. A begger on the path down.

A saddhu. Sabarimala

2006-11-07T14:00:00.000+01:00

Going to Sabarimala, one doesn't see a lot of saddhus. I wonder what the reason is. Anyway, I did find one.

Resting Pilgrims. Sabarimala

2006-11-07T13:59:00.000+01:00

A lot of pilgrims sleeping all over the place next to the temple.

Palanquins. Sabarimala.

2006-11-07T13:58:00.000+01:00

People having locomotion problems can reach the top of the Mountain where the Temple is using Palanquins.

A colorful rest. Sabarimala

2006-11-07T13:56:00.001+01:00

Buying Souvenirs. Sabarimala. Kerala

2006-11-07T13:55:00.001+01:00

Offerings. Sabarimala

2006-11-07T13:53:00.001+01:00

Temple. Sabarimala

2006-11-05T14:17:00.000+01:00

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A view of the golden roofed temple. Sabarimala.
I couldn't shoot an image closer to the temple, it's forbidden.

Waiting. Sabarimala

2006-11-05T14:16:00.001+01:00

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An Ayappa without legs waiting in front of the 18 steps to reach the temple.

2006-11-04T16:23:00.000+01:00

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Pilgrims waiting to enter the temple . They will wait a long time.

Resting. Sabarimala

2006-11-04T16:21:00.000+01:00

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The highlight of the pilgrimage is on the next day, january 14th. ..
Pilgrims are resting everywhere...
a lot of pilgrims...

Fire. sabarimala

2006-11-04T16:19:00.000+01:00

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More pilgrims during their rituals..

Lunch.Sabarimala

2006-11-03T18:05:00.000+01:00

You find plenty of places where to have a quick lunch in Sabarimala.
Next to Lord Ayappa is better.

Coconuts. Sabarimala

2006-11-03T17:48:00.000+01:00

When they get to the feet of the temple pilgrims brake their coconuts as offering to Lord Ayappa.
then they are burned..

Water Squad. Sabarimala

2006-11-03T17:46:00.000+01:00

It's very crowded and also very hot. The pilgrimage is very well organized considering
the huge amount of pilgrims.

Waiting. Sabarimala

2006-11-03T17:42:00.000+01:00

Pilgrims waiting in line to enter the temple.
that day it took 6 hours...

Ouch.

2006-11-03T17:36:00.000+01:00

On the way up a father is curing her daughter who had feet problems on her way up. pilgrims are supposed to walk the mountain barefoot.. I did it that way too.

Going up.

2006-11-03T17:32:00.000+01:00

A father and his son doing the Pilgrimage together, a nice way to get closer.

Rushing up to Sabarimala

2006-11-03T17:20:00.000+01:00

It's an incredible rush at the beginning of the stairs..
People rush to the first temple a temple dedicated to Lord Ganesha..

Ayappa pilgrim. Pampa

2006-11-03T16:35:00.000+01:00

Ayappas pilgrims waiting for the Sri Meenakshi temple to open up, and being blessed by Meenakshi, one of the two elephants residing in the temple. Those pilgrims from Andhra Pradesh are back from Sabarimala, they 'll stop one day in Madurai before going back home.

Ayappas. Madurai

2006-11-03T16:34:00.000+01:00

Ayappa. Madurai

2006-11-03T16:24:00.000+01:00

Some Ayappa pilgrims praying Hanuman, the monkey god, in Madurai...

Faith. Sabarimala

2006-11-03T16:22:00.000+01:00

A older pilgrim climbing the path to the temple in Sabarimala.
He isn't too far from the top.

Ayappa. Sabarimala

2006-11-03T16:21:00.000+01:00

Another image, almost exactly like the other one, shot near the Ayappa temple in Sabarimala. You can see people sleeping through the orange dothi.

Start. Pampa

2006-11-03T16:18:00.000+01:00

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A young boy in Pampa at the starting point of the pilgrimage to Sabarimala for those not doing the 41km on foot.
They will climb 7km to reach the temple, the only temple in India where women aged between 10 and 50 cannot visit.

Ayappa . Tirupati

2006-11-03T16:17:00.000+01:00

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D. Sreenivasalu is a tailor from Tirupati.
He is praying lord Ayappa before leaving on a pilgrimage to Sabarimala.
A little shrine under a tree in front of the big temple.

Bus. Pathanamthitta

2006-11-03T16:14:00.000+01:00

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The last bus for those pilgrims not doing the entire 41 km on foot. They will take a bus to reach Pampa, from where they will start the walk to the top of the mountain.

Venkatesh. Chengannur

2006-11-03T16:12:00.000+01:00

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I met Venkatesh and Masama, his mother (Two Ayappa Pilgrims) in the bus to go to Chengannur in Kerala. One of the last big city before going to Sabarimala.

Pilgrims. Hampi

2006-11-03T16:09:00.000+01:00

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On top of the hill near the Hanuman temple in Hampi, known as Kishkinda in the Ramayana. Some Ayappas pilgrims are admiring the beautiful landscape..And Hampi is really beautiful...
Kishkinda was ruled by a monkey king Vali ( Bali is named after him ) who was renowned for his strength and valour.

Ceremony. Sri Sailam

2006-11-03T16:07:00.000+01:00

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Still with the same group of pilgrims during the puja before they were leaving.. They were travelling by bus to a lot of sacred places in South India.
Sri sailam is one of the greatest Shivaite shrine in India and it constitutes one of the 12 Jyotirlingam shrines of Shiva.
It's really too bad you can't hear the singing.. SO beautiful..
here is a link to some Ayappa singing:
www.musicindiaonline.com/l/7/s/album.516/diety.6/

Posing. Sri Sailam

2006-11-03T16:05:00.000+01:00

Those pilgrims from Andhra Pradesh were coming to Sri Sailam to pray, on their way to Sabarimala .
They are devotees of Lord Ayappa. They go through a 41 day penance abstaining from sex, meat and intoxicationg drinks before undertaking the trek up the forested mountain chanting the celebrated three words "Samiye, Saranam Ayappa ( Oh lord Ayappa, I come to thee for refuge.)

Waiting for the train

2006-11-03T16:02:00.000+01:00

An Ayappa pilgrim waiting for his train in Tirupati. He is on his way to Sabarimala, Kerala. The bag he is carrying on his head is called a Irumudi, a holy bundle. The two compartment bag contains coconut filled with ghee, clarified butter.

Ayappa . Tirupati

2006-11-03T15:44:00.000+01:00

Ayappa pilgrims waiting for their train in Tirupati train station. You can come across those pilgrims in Southern India from November to february.
The pilgrimage takes place in Sabarimala, Kerala. I went there in January. What they have on their head is called Irumudi, a holy bundle.
This was shot on december 1st.