Every year an million pilgrims travel to the shrine of Lord Ayyappa in Sabarimalai in what has become the second largest pilgrimage phenomenon in the world. The origins of the deity Ayyappa can be traced to antiquity, however it is only in the last four decades that the movement has gained momentum and popularity spreading beyond the parochial limits of Kerala. This pilgrimage has three special features. Firstly, while it bars females between the ages of nine and fifty, it is open to males of all ages, castes and creeds. Christians and Muslims also participate in this pilgrimage. Secondly, the pilgrims observe a vratam for forty-one days prior to the journey. during this period they abstain from alcohol and meat and maintain the strictest celibacy. Thirdly, the Ayyappas as the pilgrims are called, are initiated into the cultus by a simple mala ceremony. After initiation they wear black clothes and the mala at all times as a mark of their commitment.
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