Sabarimala Temple timings
Two clocks decide a visit. The first is the calendar: the temple opens only in the Mandala and Makaravilakku season and for about five days at the start of each Malayalam month. The second is the day: on open days, TDB publishes the temple opening at 5:00 AM, Neyyabhishekam in two blocks, Ucha pooja at 12:30 PM and closing at 1:00 PM, then an evening session from Deeparadhana at 6:30 PM to Harivarasanam at 9:50 PM, after which the temple closes.
Photo: Vinayaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized
Sabarimala timings through the day
No official source publishes daily timings for Sabarimala that this page could verify. Open only in set periods: the Mandala pooja season from mid-November to late December, the Makaravilakku festival to mid-January, the first days of each Malayalam month and a few festivals. TDB's calendar page still showed 2023-24 dates when checked on 29 September 2026, so 2026-27 dates are not given here.
Best time for darshan. First choose an open date from TDB's notices and secure a Virtual-Q slot. On the day, the temple opens at 05:00 and closes at 13:00, then runs in the evening from Deeparadhana at 18:30 to Harivarasanam at 21:50. Allow for the trek from Pamba, which is on foot.
Sabarimala pooja timings
Full daily schedule
TDB's own pooja timing page, which applies only on days the temple is open. The page gives no time for the evening reopening, so the evening is shown from Deeparadhana.
| Time | What happens | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 05:00 | Temple opening | Public darshan |
| 05:05 | Nirmalya darshan | Ritual |
| 05:30 | Ganapathi Homam | Ritual |
| 05:30 – 07:00 | Neyyabhishekam | Booked seva |
| 07:30 | Usha pooja | Ritual |
| 09:00 – 11:00 | Neyyabhishekam | Booked seva |
| 12:30 | Ucha pooja | Ritual |
| 13:00 | Temple closing | Closed to the public |
| 18:30 | Deeparadhana | Ritual |
| 18:45 | Padipooja, Pushpabhishekam | Ritual |
| 21:50 | Harivarasanam, then temple closing | Ritual |
Sabarimala during festivals
Mandala pooja season November–December
About 41 days of daily pooja, ending with the Mandala pooja.
Makaravilakku Around 14 January
The high point of the season, when the Makara Jyothi is seen on the hills.
Monthly pooja First five days of each Malayalam month
The temple opens briefly each month outside the main season.
How to read the Sabarimala schedule
The daily times are the easy part. The calendar and the Virtual-Q booking decide whether there is a visit at all.
Book online first Virtual-Q
TDB states that online booking of Virtual-Q is mandatory for all pilgrims visiting Sabarimala.
Check the calendar Not open all year
Mandala season, Makaravilakku, the start of each Malayalam month, and a few festivals.
Nirmalya darshan at 05:05 Opening
The first darshan of the day, followed by Ganapathi Homam.
After Ucha pooja Midday closing
The temple closes after the 12:30 Ucha pooja.
Then the temple closes Harivarasanam
The lullaby sung to Ayyappan nightly before the temple doors close.
Irumudi only Pathinettampadi
No pilgrim without the irumudi may climb them; others use the northern gate.
Not verified yet 4 items no official source publishes
- The evening reopening time, which TDB's pooja page does not give.
- Whether the daily timings are longer during the Mandala season than in monthly poojas.
- The 2026-27 season calendar.
- Queue times on the trek and at the Sannidhanam.
Know one of these from an official notice? Send it to us and the page is updated with a new date.
What people ask about the schedule
Answered from the published schedule, and marked unverified where it is.
What time does Sabarimala temple open?
At 5:00 AM on open days, with Nirmalya darshan at 5:05 AM.
When does Sabarimala close at night?
After Harivarasanam at 9:50 PM.
Is Sabarimala closed in the afternoon?
Yes. TDB publishes the temple closing at 1:00 PM after Ucha pooja. It does not give the afternoon reopening time.
When is Neyyabhishekam?
TDB lists it from 5:30 AM to 7:00 AM and again from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM.
When is Deeparadhana?
At 6:30 PM, followed by Padipooja and Pushpabhishekam at 6:45 PM.
Is Sabarimala open every day?
No. It opens only in the Mandala and Makaravilakku season, for the first days of each Malayalam month and for some festivals.
When does the 2026-27 season start?
TDB had not published the 2026-27 calendar on its calendar page when checked. The Mandala season traditionally begins in mid-November.
Where do these timings come from?
From the Travancore Devaswom Board's Sabarimala pooja timing page, which it last updated on 13 March 2024.
Back to the whole temple
The dress code, the entry rules and everything else about Sabarimala that has been verified against a published source.