Wishesh December Magazine 2015

Indian Events
The 41-day
102
Vritham
The fast that longs for 41
days throws light on the
significance of abstinence
and austerity in lives of
devotees seeking a complete
merger with the Ultimate. If
the devotee wants to mount
the pathinettu padikal and
enter Sabarimala temple,
he has to follow several
regulations and dictates. He
can only embark on the 41-
day vritham with permission
from his parents and Guru.
On an auspicious day, the
vritham can be commenced
with poojas to the family deity
and making a holy knot with
yellow cloth, which contains
1.25 currency units. This is
presented to the family deity,
which means the devotee
gains his or her approval to
commence the deeksha.
The Sacred Mala beaded
mala/garland with tulsi or
rudraksham highlights his
renunciation of material
temptations. Most devotes
begin to wear mala from the
very first day of Vrishchikam. It
is auspicious to wear mala on
the day of asterism of Uthram
or on a Saturday or a prior to
the first day of Vrishchikam.
The devotee receives mala
from a Guruswami, one who
visited Sabarimala many
times. The ritual is conducted
usually in the precincts of a
temple or any holy place. The
pilgrim swears all commitment
to Lord Ayyappan as he wears
mala. All his thoughts words
and deeds are surrendered
to the powerful deity and
begin to lead the austere life
of an ascetic.
“
If the devotee
wants to mount
the pathinettu
padikal
and enter
Sabarimala
temple, he has to
follow several
regulations and
dictates.
“
WWW.WISHESH.COM | DECEMBER 2015