Sabarimala Sree Dharma Sastha Temple, Kerala
The hill shrine of Ayyappan at 1,260 metres in the Periyar Tiger Reserve, run by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB). It is not open all year: it opens for the Mandala and Makaravilakku season from November to January, for the first days of each Malayalam month and for a few festivals. The Board states that online Virtual-Q booking is mandatory for all pilgrims. On the days it is open, TDB publishes the temple opening at 5:00 AM and closing for the night after Harivarasanam at 9:50 PM.
Photo: Vinayaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized
Sabarimala timings in short
A temple that is shut most of the year, and on the days it opens runs from 05:00 to 13:00 and again in the evening until Harivarasanam at 21:50.
History of Sabarimala Temple
The hill takes its name from Shabari, the ascetic woman of the Ramayana who is believed to have lived in this region and performed penance to meet Rama. The shrine stands at 1,260 metres in the Western Ghats, within the Periyar Tiger Reserve, alongside the Malikappuram temple.
Wikipedia records that the temple was rebuilt after an arson attack in 1950, and that a panchaloha idol replaced the earlier stone image. The Travancore Devaswom Board administers it today.
- Altitude
- 1,260 metres
- Pathinettampadi
- 18 holy steps
- Vratham
- 41 days
- Forest route
- 61 km from Erumeli
- Booking
- Virtual-Q, mandatory
- Night
- Harivarasanam at 21:50
Why Sabarimala matters to Hindus
Ayyappan is worshipped here as Dharma Sastha, believed to be the son of Shiva and Mohini, the female form of Vishnu. The pilgrimage is defined by its discipline: a 41-day vratham, the irumudi carried on the head, the climb up the 18 holy steps, and the Harivarasanam lullaby that closes each night.
The Makaravilakku festival in mid-January, when the Makara Jyothi is seen on the hills, is the high point of the season.
More facts about Sabarimala
- Deity
- Ayyappan, as Dharma Sastha
- Where
- Sabarimala, Pathanamthitta district, Kerala, in the Periyar Tiger Reserve
- Altitude
- 1,260 metres
- Administered by
- Travancore Devaswom Board
- Idol
- Panchaloha, installed after the temple was rebuilt following an arson attack in 1950
- Also on the hill
- Malikappuram temple
- Also known as
- Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple, Sabarimala Sree Ayyappa Temple, Sabarimala Sannidhanam, Sree Dharma Sastha Temple, Sabarimala
Entry rules at Sabarimala
Sabarimala's rules come from two places: the Board's booking system and centuries of pilgrim custom. Both apply.
Virtual-Q
Online booking of Virtual-Q is mandatory for all pilgrims.
Where to book
Darshan and services are booked on sabarimalaonline.org, the Board's portal.
The 18 steps
No pilgrim without the irumudikkettu may climb the Pathinettampadi; others enter by the northern gate.
Women aged 10 to 50
Tradition restricted their entry. The Supreme Court struck the ban down in September 2018, and in 2019 the case was referred to a larger bench of seven judges.
Opening days
The temple is open only in the Mandala season, at Makaravilakku, for the first days of each Malayalam month and for a few festivals.
Sabarimala dress code
TDB publishes no dress code on the pages read here. What pilgrims wear and carry is set by the tradition of the vratham, which Wikipedia describes.
- Pilgrims traditionally observe a 41-day vratham of vegetarianism and celibacy, wearing a sacred necklace.
- They carry an irumudi, a two-compartment bag of offerings, on the head.
- Only pilgrims carrying the irumudi may climb the 18 holy steps.
How to reach Sabarimala Temple
By air
Thiruvananthapuram airport is about 170 km south of the temple.
By train
The nearest railway station is Chengannur, about 85 km away.
By road
A road runs from Ranni to Pamba via the Nilakkal base camp; from Pamba all pilgrims trek up the Neelimala path to the shrine.
Best time to visit Sabarimala
There is no choice of season in the usual sense: the temple is open only in the Mandala and Makaravilakku season and for a few days each month. The Mandala season from mid-November and the Makaravilakku festival in January are the traditional time for the pilgrimage and the most crowded; the monthly openings are quieter.
Within an open day, the temple runs from 05:00 to 13:00 and in the evening until Harivarasanam at 21:50. Book Virtual-Q first, and plan the trek from Pamba around your slot.
Tips before you go
- Book Virtual-Q on sabarimalaonline.org before travelling; TDB says it is mandatory.
- Check TDB's notices for the season and monthly opening dates each year.
- Carry the irumudi if you intend to climb the 18 steps.
- Plan for the trek from Pamba; the road does not reach the shrine.
- Stay for Harivarasanam at 21:50 if you can; the temple closes after it.
Not verified yet 5 items no official source publishes
- The 2026-27 Mandala and Makaravilakku dates, which TDB's calendar page had not been updated with.
- The monthly opening dates for October 2026 onward.
- The daily Virtual-Q limit for the coming season.
- The time the temple reopens in the afternoon, which TDB's pooja page leaves out.
- Whether phones are allowed at the Sannidhanam.
Know one of these from an official notice? Send it to us and the page is updated with a new date.
Questions about visiting
Answered from what the temple publishes, with the gaps left as gaps.
When is Sabarimala open?
Only in set periods: the Mandala pooja season from November to December, the Makaravilakku festival in January, the first five days of each Malayalam month, and a few festivals such as Vishu. TDB announces the dates each year.
Is Virtual-Q booking compulsory at Sabarimala?
Yes. The Travancore Devaswom Board states that online booking of Virtual-Q is mandatory for all pilgrims visiting Sabarimala. Book on sabarimalaonline.org.
What are the Sabarimala temple timings?
On open days TDB publishes the temple opening at 5:00 AM and closing at 1:00 PM after Ucha pooja, then Deeparadhana at 6:30 PM and Harivarasanam at 9:50 PM, after which the temple closes.
Can women visit Sabarimala?
Tradition restricted entry for women aged 10 to 50. The Supreme Court overturned that ban in September 2018, and in 2019 referred the matter to a larger bench of seven judges for reconsideration. Women outside that age group have always been able to visit.
Who can climb the 18 steps?
Only pilgrims carrying the irumudi, the two-compartment bag of offerings. Others reach the shrine by the northern gate.
What is the 41-day vratham?
A period of austerity before the pilgrimage, with vegetarianism, celibacy and a sacred necklace, observed by pilgrims who then carry the irumudi.
How do I reach Sabarimala?
By road to Pamba via Nilakkal, then on foot up the Neelimala path to the Sannidhanam. Chengannur railway station is about 85 km away, and Thiruvananthapuram airport about 170 km.
What is Makara Jyothi?
A light seen on the hills during the Makaravilakku festival in mid-January, the busiest day of the pilgrimage season.
What is Harivarasanam?
A devotional lullaby sung to Ayyappan every night before the temple doors close. TDB times it at 9:50 PM.
What is the traditional forest route?
A 61 km path from Erumeli through the forest, crossing the Azhutha river and mountain, used by pilgrims who walk the whole way.
Who runs Sabarimala?
The Travancore Devaswom Board, which also runs the Virtual-Q booking system.
Can I rely on these timings on the day?
The daily times come from TDB's own page, last updated in March 2024. The opening dates change every year, so check TDB's notices and your Virtual-Q booking before travelling.
Need the timings in full?
The timings page carries the whole published schedule, block by block, and what to check before you travel.