Kerala Pilgrimage

The land of yoga, meditation and ayurveda also commands reverence as a pilgrimage centre from devotees all over the globe. Kerala is a land of spiritual harmony and cultural tolerance and its numerous temples, mosques and churches manifest its secular ethos.

The capital city of Thiruvanathapuram is itself known as the 'city of temples’, while other popular pilgrimage centers in Kerala include Sabarimala, Bharananganam, Aruvippuram, Sri Garuda Temple, Shree Bhadra Narasimhaswami Temple, Udyaneswara Temple, Vrindavan Temple, Sri Hanuman Temple, Sri Kashi Math Temple, Shree Prasadapureswara Temple and Malayatoor.

Religious festivities are a round-the year feature of Kerala. Some of the temples observe some very specific rituals during certain festivals. Elephants, considered to be the most sacred of animals, play a very important role in the temple festivities.

Popularly known as the 'Kashi of South India', the Guruvayoor temple at Trichur is one of the most sacred places in Kerala. The state also has several temples devoted to Lord Subramaniam.

Sabarimala is another very important pilgrimage in Kerala, located 80 km from the Pathanamthitta district head quarters. Surrounded by the hills of Karimala and Neelimala, Sabarimala is the shrine of Lord Ayyappa. It is customary for devotees to climb the steep mountain ranges on their way to the shrine with a bundle of offerings. A 41-day penance before starting this divine pilgrimage is mandatory for worshippers. The chant 'Saranam Ayyappa' rings the air as devotees trek up to the sacred shrine. There are no religious restrictions of any sort for devotees in terms of their caste, creed or religion visiting the place.

Besides these and other important shrines, there are a number of ancient mosques and churches located across Kerala. Malayattoor, a popular pilgrim point in Kerala is a church much revered by the Christians of the region. Standing atop a hill besides the Periyar River, it is about 52 km from Kochi. Established in 900 AD, the church is believed to have been blessed by St. Thomas, one of the Apostles of Christ.