Sullia: December, the rejoicing month of Christmas is also the season the Ayyappa devotees don their black robes and surrender themselves to their Lord. It is during this season that the devotees complete their ‘Vrata’ and leave to the hill shrine of Shabarimala to soak in the spiritual delight.
Many devotees throng the shrine every year, but here in Sullia is a small group led by Guruswamy Sathish that has been walking its way to Shabarimala, completing 580 kms on feet to see Lord Ayyappa over the last 18 years.
Keeping the tradition on even this year, a total of 14 Ayyappa devotees including the Guruswamy will complete the pilgrimage on feet. After performing the vital ‘Erumudi’ ritual on Wednesday, the group left for Shabarimala on Thursday at 6 am from Sri Chennakeshava Temple.
The groups covers about 35 to 40 kms, walking during break of dawn and after fall of dusk. They rest during the afternoon to ward themselves off scorching heat. The ‘vrathadhris’ would take utensils and edible commodities along and stop at temples to cook and rest. Halting at at least 30 temples on the way, including the famous Guruvayur temple, the group intends to reach Shabarimala on January 9, become witnesses to the marvelous ‘Makara Jyothi’ and return contented.
Guruswamy Sathish has been visiting Shabarimala over the last 31 years and out of these 31 years, he has been performing padayathra over the last 18 years. He is accompanied by his brother Guruswamy Manikanta, Rajesh, Santhosh, Padmanabha Yenekallu, Mohith, Ganesh, Yathish Sonangeri, Manjunath Elimale, Ashok Narnaje, Ramesh and Damodar Bellare.
Guruswamy Sathish’s father Guruswamy Kenchappa has the fame of completing Shabarimala pilgrimage for the record 46 times till now, however, he had never performed a padayathra till the shrine. This year Kenchappa Guruswamy will perform the pilgrimage for the 47th time. He will leave to the shrine with his group on a vehicle and meet his sons at Shabarimala.
Sathish Guruswamy, speaking to newskarnataka.com spoke of the difficulties he and his team face.
“It is not an easy thing, but the happiness that one derives by performing padayathra simply overshadows the difficulties,” he says.
Visiting Ayyappa Swamy temple in Shabarimala includes observing strict discipline for a span of one month. The devotees hoping to visit the temple to witness the Makara Jyothi should perform the ‘vratha’ by consuming vegetarian food, living away from home, adopting simple ways of living, remaining celibate during the vratha, cleansing body and thoughts, resorting to non-violence etc.
Meanwhile, a Guruswamy is an elderly person who has performed not less than 18 pilgrimages to the shrine in complete adherence to the ‘vratha’ principles. It counts the annual pilgrimages only and by this account, a Guruswamy is someone who had surrendered himself to the complete will of Lord Ayyappa over 18 consecutive years. He is then eligible to initiate devotees in to the vratha.
