2ayyappa swamy paddipooja

The Sabarimala Sree Dharma Sastha Temple[1] (Malayalam pronunciation: [ʃabəɾimala]) is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Ayyappan, who is also known as Dharma Shasta and is the son of the deities Shiva and Mohini (female avatar of the god Vishnu).[2]

The temple is situated atop the Sabarimala hill in the village of Ranni-Perunad, within the Ranni Taluk of the Pathanamthitta district in the state of Kerala, India. The temple is surrounded by 18 hills in the Periyar Tiger Reserve.[3] It is one of the largest annual pilgrimage sites in the world, with an estimate of over 10 to 15 million devotees visiting every year.[4][5][6][7]

The temple is open for worship only during the days of Mandala Pooja (approximately 15 November to 26 December),[8] Makaravilakku or Makara Sankranti (14 January), and Maha Thirumal Sankranti (14 April), and the first five days of each Malayalam month. The Sabarimala Temple serves as a prime example of the amalgamation of several religious traditions within the Indian context.[9]

The temple practises encompassed the prohibition of women between the ages of 10 and 50 years from accessing the temple premises. In 2018, the Supreme Court of India rendered a decision to invalidate the prohibition on female entry inside the temple.