Sabarimala Calendar for the Year 2011-12

The Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple in Kerala is open for darshan only during certain specific periods in a year. Below are the dates on which the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple will remain open during 2011 – 2012.

The temple is open for monthly pujas for five days from the first of Malayalam month on all months in year. Other days when the temple is open are for Sabarimala Shrine festival, Vishu, Ayyappa Idol installation anniversary puja, Onam puja, Sri Chitira Attam Thirunnal, two months during the Mandalam Pooja season (November – December) and finally during the Makaravilakku Puja (January) season.

Sabarimala Ayyappa TempleCalendar 2011 – 2012

January 2011 at Sabarimala

January 14, 2011 – Makaravilakku Puja

Temple open on all days in January till January 20, 2011

Temple closes at night on January 20, 2011.

February 2011 at Sabarimala

February 12, 2011 to February 17, 2011 – Kumbha Masa Puja – Monthly Puja – The temple remains open for five days during the period.

March 2011 at Sabarimala

March 09, 2011 to March 19, 2011 – Meena Masa Puja Monthly Puja and Sabarimala Annual Temple Festival.

Painguni Festival and Special Puja is also on March 19, 2011.

April 2011 at Sabarimala

April 10, 2011 – April 18, 2011 – Vishu and Medam month Puja and Darshan
April 15, 2011 – Vishu Kani Darshan at the Temple
April 18, 2011 - Vishu Festival Ends

May 2011 at Sabarimala

May 14, 2011 to May 19, 2011 – Edava Masa Puja - Monthly Puja – The temple remains open for five days during the period.

May 10, 2011 – Ayyappa Idol installation anniversary puja
May 11, 2011 – Ayyappa Idol installation anniversary day

June 2011 at Sabarimala

June 15, 2011 to June 20, 2011 – Mithuna Masa Puja – Monthly Puja – The temple remains open for five days during the period.

July 2011 at Sabarimala

July 16, 2011 to July 21, 2011 – Karkidaka Masa Puja – Monthly Puja – The temple remains open for five days during the period.

There is also a Niraputtari in this month and the date is decided by the Travancore Royal Family.

August 2011 at Sabarimala

August 16, 2011 to August 21, 2011 – Chinga Masa Puja – Monthly Puja – The temple remains open for five days during the period.

September 2011 at Sabarimala

September 7, 2011 to September 11, 2011 - Onam Puja.

September 9, 2011 – Thiru Onam Puja

September 16, 2011 to September 21, 2011 – Kanni Masa Puja – Monthly Puja – The temple remains open for five days during the period.

October 2011 at Sabarimala

October 17, 2011 to October 22, 2011 – Thulam Masa Puja – Monthly Puja – The temple remains open for five days during the period.
October 25, 2011 to October 26, 2011 – Sri Chitira Attam Thirunnal

November 2011 at Sabarimala

November 16, 2011 – Mandala Kalam Starts – Shrine open for 41 days

Temple open on all days from November 16.

December 2011 at Sabarimala

Temple open on all days till the night of December 27, 2010 on all days.

December 27, 2011 – Sabarimala Mandala Puja - Temple closes in the evening
December 30, 2011 – Temple opens for Makaravilakku.

January 2012 at Sabarimala

January 15, 2012 – Makaravilakku Puja

Temple open on all days till January 20, 2012

Temple closes at night on January 20, 2012.

Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple Timings

On the above days the temple usually opens at 0400hrs and closes at 1300 hrs and then opens again at 1600 hrs and closes at 2300 hrs.

Neyyabhishekam takes place from 0430 hrs to 1130 hrs.

During the peak seasons the timings might altered to accommodate the large number of devotees.

Sabarimala festival from March 10

The 10-day annual festival at Lord Ayyappa Temple at Sabarimala will be held from March 10 to 19.

The temple will be opened on Wednesday afternoon. The rituals will begin with chief priest (Tantri) Kandararu Rajeevaru, assisted by head priest (Melsanthi) Ezhikode Sasi Namboodiri, performing the Ashtadravya Ganapati homom on Thursday morning.

The purification rituals `bimba-sudhikriya' and `praasada-sudhikriya' will be performed on Wednesday afternoon prior to the ‘kodiyettu' ceremony, which will be between 10.35 a.m. and 11.30 a.m. on Thursday. The chief priest will perform the ‘kodiyettu' rituals before the golden temple mast and hoist the ceremonial flag.

Utsavabali
‘Utsavabali' will be performed from March 11 to 18 at a specially prepared pandal in the temple precincts after the ‘utchapuja.' The Tantri, assisted by the Melsanthi, will perform the Utsavabali.

The Utchapuja during the festival period will be performed by 11 a.m. and the Utsavabali darshan will be from 1.30 p.m. to 2.30 p.m.

The Vilakkinezhullippu procession will be held at the Sannidhanam from March 14 to 18.

Pallivetta
The Pallivetta ritual will held on March 18. The presiding deity will be taken in a ceremonial procession to Saramkuthy on the traditional trekking path for the Pallivetta ritual after the Athazhapuja on March 18.

Aratt
The Painguni Uthram, which is believed to be Lord Ayyappa's birthday, falls on March 19. The 10-day temple festival will conclude with the Aratt ceremony on March 19 when the deity will be taken out in a procession to Pampa for the Arat ceremony. The Aratpuja and Utchapuja will be performed at the specially prepared Arat-kadavu in the Pampa river on the foothills of Sabarimala at 11 am.

The deity will be taken back to the Sannidhanam in an Arat procession by 10 p.m. The Tantri will bring down the ceremonial flag, marking the culmination of the annual festival.

KSRTC services
According to Kerala State Road Transport Corporation sources, the corporation will operate special services to Pampa from its depots at Pathanamthitta, Chengannur, Kottayam, Thiruvananthapuram, Erumeli, Kumily and Kottarakara from March 9 to 19.