Makaravilakku

At dusk on Makar Sankranti, after the thiruvabharanam, Ayyappa's sacred ornaments, carried on foot from Pandalam, are placed on the idol, a light appears three times on the distant Ponnambalamedu hill. Devotees regard it as a divine sign.

The culmination of a 41-day vratham: black or blue clothing, celibacy, no shaving, sattvik food, and the trek carrying the irumudi kettu, a two-compartment bundle. Millions arrive in this window.

Aravana payasam and appam, the temple's prasad, distributed in sealed tins.

Sabarimala draws heavily from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra. The temple's entry rules for women have been the subject of significant litigation and remain contested; the app should describe the pilgrimage without commenting on that.