Click to play videoSabrimala: For lakhs of pilgrims at Lord Ayappa's temple in sabarimala, the appearance of the makarajyoti on the horizon is the moment they were all waiting for amidst chants of Swamiye saranam Ayappa
Bite of Sridhar Guruswamy : ( bite in Kannada, DP please help ) : ( old man with beard...saffron irrumudi on his head )
The Makara-vilakku celebrations are the culmination of the main pilgrimage season at Sabarimala.
Every season over four crore men make the pilgrimage out of which around 35 lakh coming on Makara-Sankranti day alone.
They come mostly from the four southern states.
“I am coming for the first time from Hubli. There is lot of crowd here and I feel so nice to be here, and I think more devotees will be coming,” says Ravi, a devotee.
For the devotees the steep trek to the temple begins with a quick dip in the holy pampa. They climb barefooted across 2 hills, carrying the irrumudi or offerings for the lord on their heads.
The strength they say comes from a 41 day long penance of complete celibacy and a strict vegetarian diet.
“It disciplines oneself. Going to the temple alone doesn’t matter. You do so many things connected with that, going there is a culmination of all these things,”
This year's security is tight at Sabarimala with more than 4000 men from the police the CRPF and the state commandoes posted along the route.
Year after year the Sabarimala pilgrimage poses a new challenge to the security forces. But for the devotees who keep swelling every year, its a re-enforcement of their faith on their beloved God.
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