Page 645 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - India

KER ALA  643

9 Palai
Kottayam district. 175 km (109 miles)
N of Thiruvananthapuram. @
n (0481) 256 0479. _ Epiphany
(6 Jan). St Thomas Church: 5
(Malayalam) 6am daily.
The prosperous town of
Palai is surrounded by thick
rubber plantations. The small
16th-century St Thomas
Church is its main attraction.
Constructed in the traditional
style of early Christian churches
in Kerala, it has a quaint wooden
Baroque façade of St Thomas Church, at Palai pulpit with a fish-like base, an
elaborately carved main altar
7 Sabarimalai metals, and lead to the sanctum. and two simpler side altars.
Only those who have observed A stone slab carries inscriptions
Pattanamthitta district. 191 km
(119 miles) N of Thiruvananthapuram. 41 days of penance (celibacy, in Syriac. Attractive glass
@ to Pamba, then by foot. wearing black and and not candelabra are suspended from
n (04735) 202 048. _ Mandalam shaving) are entitled to wall brackets, while a chandelier
(Nov–Jan), Makaravilakku (mid-Jan). undertake the pilgrimage. hangs from the ceiling. There is
a wooden balcony at the rear.
One of India’s most famous 8 Periyar Tiger Services are still held in the
pilgrimage centres, Sabarimalai Reserve church. Adjoining this building
lies in the Western Ghats at an is a modern church, which is
altitude of 914 m (2,999 ft). The See pp644–5. also dedicated to St Thomas.
final 14-km (9-mile) approach
from Pamba, through dense
forest, is made on foot. The Ayyappa Cult
The focus of devotion here A Dravidian deity worshipped throughout Kerala, Ayyappa (or
is the temple dedicated to Sastha) was born out of the union between Shiva and Vishnu (who
the popular deity, Ayyappa. had transformed himself into a woman, Mohini). The baby, found
The temple stays open from on the banks of the Pamba river, was adopted by the childless king
Nov ember to mid-January, in of Pandalam. Ayyappa later
April and during the first five revealed his divine status when
days of each month of the he destroyed a demon. Before
Malayalam calendar. People of returning to his heavenly abode,
all reli gions can worship here, however, the god shot an arrow
into the air, and it landed near
but women between the ages the ashram of the sage Sabari,
of 10 and 50 are restricted from where a temple was built.
entering. The final 18 sacred Ayyappa’s warrior friend, Vavar,
steps (each representing a sin is a Muslim saint whose dargah
that a devotee renounces on nearby is visited by both
setting foot on it) are sheathed Muslims and Hindus. Ayyappa devotees, Sabarimalai
in panchaloha, an alloy of five

Ceilings are divided
into panels carved Interiors of koothambalams
with lotus designs or Koothambalams, traditional theatres, have tall wooden pillars
Hindu deities, such as are usually situated in the precincts of and jalis on three sides for
Brahma, surrounded large temples and palaces. They serve ventilation. The roof is specially
by dikpalas, who are as the venue for staging Koodiyattam designed to provide excellent
guardian figures. (dance-drama) performances. acoustic quality.

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