Sabarimala pilgrimage: The tale of a Hindu deity’s Muslim-Christain ‘friendships’

Can you imagine Hindu devotees circumambulating a mosque in their ritual attire and bathing in a church pond as part of their annual temple pilgrimage?

This is no fairy tale.

Every pilgrimage season, devotees of the famed Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa Temple visit a mosque and church as part of the annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage.

Both the Erumeli Nainar Juma Masjid, also known as Vavar Palli (mosque), in Kottayam district and the Arthunkal St Andrew’s Basilica, situated in Alappuzha district, have been opening its portals to Sabarimala pilgrims for decades during the season, beginning in mid-November.

Adorning the traditional black dress and bead-chain and smearing ‘bhasmam’, the holy ash, on forehead, chest and arms, Hindu pilgrims visit the mosque and the church every year and offer prayers, reviving the local myth of the Lord Ayyappa’s friendship with a Muslim youth and a Christian priest.

It is heartening to see how the managements of the mosque and church wholeheartedly welcome and provide facilities for the Hindu pilgrims who step in chanting aloud ‘swamiye saranam Ayyappa ’ in praising their deity.

What is the story behind this everlasting friendship?

According to local lore, Ayyappa was the adopted son of the erstwhile Pandalam king. The mosque is dedicated to Vavar, Ayyappa’s muslim companion.

The Arthunkal church legends stated that one of its erstwhile vicars, popularly known as Arthunkal Veluthachan (fair-skinned father) among the local people, had been a great friend of Ayyappa.

For decades, the temple, church and mosque have stood as a unique example of deep-rooted communal harmony in Kerala.

Traditions and customs at the Vavar mosque

According to Hakim, joint secretary, Erumeli Mahalla Muslim Jama-ath, not only Keralites but devotees from neighbouring states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh also visit the Vavar mosque, situated over 60 km from Sabarimala, every year and offer prayers before they start trekking the hill shrine.

“A large number of Ayyappa pilgrims visit the mosque throughout the November-January annual pilgrim season. They do not enter the prayer hall but circumambulate the mosque, provide kanikka (offering) and break coconut at the premises,” he said.

“It is beautiful to see when we perform namaz inside the hall, our Hindu brothers perambulate the mosque and offer prayers as part of their traditional believes. The legend of the friendship of Ayyappa and Vavar is the reflection of the deep-rooted secularism and communal harmony in Kerala,” he said.

Vavar palli in Erumeli

The Jama-ath, which takes care of the administration of the centuries-old mosque, provides parking facilities and space for placing ‘viri’ (bed spread) for the ‘Ayyappas’, how the Sabarimala pilgrims are generally known as.

The Nainar Juma Masjid also conducts an annual festival named ‘Chandanakudam’ as a prelude to the ‘pettathullal’, the ceremonial mass dance of Ayyappa devotees, at the end of the yearly pilgrim season.

Interestingly, there is a place at Sabarimala known as ‘vavar nada’, dedicated to the ‘Vavarswamy’, how the Muslim friend of Ayyappa is fondly being called by Hindu devotees.

Practices followed at the Arthunkal Basillica

Meanwhile, Fr Christopher M Arthasseril, the parish priest of Arthunkal Basilica, said it has for long been a custom for the sea-side church to receive the Sabarimala pilgrims.

Arthunkal St Andrew’s Basilica

After offering prayers at Sabarimala, a large number of Ayyappa devotees visit the 16th-century Arthunkal Basilica, built by Portuguese missionaries, to take out their ‘mala’ (bead-chain) worn as part of the pilgrimage.

“Majority of the pilgrims visit the church to remove the traditional bead-chain marking the end of their 41-day vrata (renunciation of worldly pleasures),” Fr Arthasseril said.

After removing the chain by paying respect before the idol of Saint Sebastian, the devotees bathe in a tank located within the church premises or take a dip in the sea, he said.

Detailing the legend behind the church’s Sabarimala connection, the priest said the visit of the pilgrims commemorate the bond between Lord Ayyappa and a Jesuit priest, one of the early vicars of the church.

“The legend linking Sabarimala and Arthunkal Church has been attributed to Fr Jacomo Fenicio, a Jesuit who had served as the vicar of the church from 1584. As per the records, he had great interest and knowledge in Hindu culture as well as traditions and also in local martial arts like Kalaripayattu,” he said.

The local legend was that the priest, believed to have magical powers to heal diseases, was a friend of Lord Ayyappa, the adopted son of Pandalam king. Many had even considered them as brothers, as per the lore.

The priest said they used to clean the temple pond before the Sabarimala season and provide other necessary arrangements to host Ayyappa pilgrims.