Description

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Context:

Amid an unprecedented rush of devotees who had been camping in and around the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple, the Makaravilakku festival was celebrated at the hill shrine.

About Makaravilakku

Aspect	Details
Location	Sabarimala Temple, Kerala
Date of Celebration	On the day of Makara Sankranti
Significance	Marks the culmination of the annual pilgrimage season to the Sabarimala temple.
Thiruvabharanam	The sacred royal ornaments of Lord Ayyappa from Pandalam Palace are brought to the temple.
Celestial Light	Makarajyothi or Makaravilakku, is believed to be a divine manifestation of Lord Ayyappa.
Location of Light	The light is said to appear on the horizon of the Ponnambalamedu hill, near the Sabarimala temple.
Origin of the Light	Originally a ritual performed by the Malayaraya tribe at the Ponnambalamedu temple, now managed by the Travancore Devaswom Board.
Aarti Ritual	Performed at the Ponnambalamedu temple; the Makaravilakku is the light emitted from the camphor lit during the Aarti, visible three times from Sabarimala.
Duration of Festival	The festival lasts for seven days, ending with the 'Guruthi' ritual.
Guruthi Ritual	A sacrifice was conducted to propitiate the gods and goddesses of the wilderness.
Temple Premises Post-Guruthi	No one remains inside the temple premises after performing the Guruthi.

About Sabarimala Temple

Sabarimala Sree Ayyappan Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Ayyappan, also known as Dharma Shasta.
According to Hindu mythology, Lord Ayyappa is the son of Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu (Vishnu in his incarnation as Mohini).
It is one of the largest annual pilgrimage sites in the world, with more than 10 to 15 million devotees visiting each year.
Temple practices prohibit women between the ages of 10 and 50 from entering temple premises.
In 2018, India's Supreme Court overturned the ban on women entering the temple.

Geographical location

Sabarimala Hill, Pathanamthitta District, Kerala.
The temple is surrounded by 18 hills in the Periyar Tiger Reserve. The temple is located on the banks of the Pamba River.
Pamba River (Pampa River / Dakshina Bhageerathi) is one of the longest rivers in Kerala after Periyar and Bharathappuzha. In ancient times it was called "Baris River".

READ ABOUT

Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Lohri, Bihu

Source:

India Today

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q.Consider the following statements regarding the Makaravilakku festival:

It marks the culmination of the annual pilgrimage season to the Sabarimala temple, celebrated on Makara Sankranti.
The sacred royal ornaments of Lord Ayyappa, known as Thiruvabharanam, are brought to the temple from the Ponnambalamedu hill.
It is believed to be a divine manifestation of Lord Ayyappa, visible on the horizon of the Ponnambalamedu hill.

How many of the above-given statements is/are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(d) None

Answer: b

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: Makaravilakku marks the culmination of the annual pilgrimage season to the Sabarimala temple, and it is celebrated on Makara Sankranti.

Statement 2 is incorrect: The sacred royal ornaments of Lord Ayyappa (Thiruvabharanam) are brought to the Sabarimala temple from Pandalam Palace, not from the Ponnambalamedu hill.

Statement 3 is correct: Makaravilakku or Makarajyothi is believed to be a divine manifestation of Lord Ayyappa, and it is visible on the horizon of the Ponnambalamedu hill.