Article : Ayyappa Puja is known all over South India. It is also known as SAASTHA PREETHI. Lord Ayyappa is the main diety worshipped during this function .Though it may be celebrated any time of the year, it is mainly celebrated during the Tamil months Karthigai, Margazhi and Thai, corresponding to October 15th to January 15th(approximately), which is the period when the main Ayyappa temple at SabariHills at Kerala State is thrown open for the devotees to visit for Dharshan. Devotees observe 45 days of VRATHAM (observe certain strict rules for food, drinks, bath, not wearing sandals/footwear etc) before undertaking the trip to the SabariHills, either through the shorter route or longer route. The devotees wear either black or saffron colour dress and before embarking on the trip they join one or the other groups performing the Puja and fillup an emptied coconut shell with ghee and seal it with cork and this is carried in a bag on the head with the front side having the coconut and other materials for offering to the Lord Ayyappa and the back side containing items for wayside meals preparations. Each group has a Group Leader known as GURUSWAMI, one who had visited the Hill temple atleast thrice earlier. The devotees are a discplined lot and obey the directions of the GURUSWAMY and travel by rail/bus/car and the last leg by foot. Throughout the journey they sing in praise of the Lord and shouts of "SWAMIYE SARANAM AYYAPPA" rents the air. Each group sets its own itinery of visiting other temples enroute or even outside the route by diversion and the periods would also vary. LORD AYYAPPA is also known as DHARMA SAASTHA, HARI-HARA-PUTRA AYYANAAR etc. The term Hariharaputra, denotes that HE is the son of LORD SHIVA and LORD MAHA-VISHNU (When Vishnu took the Lady Form of MOHINI). The devotees wear a MALAI (necklace) made of Tusi Seeds/Beads etc as a token of their pledge to undertake the pilgrimage to the hills atleast 45 days prior to date of visit. This is removed only on completion of the pilgrimage. The Temple is open for few days at the beginning of every Hindu month and during the October - January month on many days together. The period commencing from Karthigai month is known as MANDALA TIME (One Mandalam means 45 days) and then the MAKARA VILAKKU Time starts. On MAKARA SANKRANTHI DAY , MAKARA VILAKKU, meaning a JOTHI like a Star appears on the top of the Hill opposite to Sabari Hill for few seconds, just about Sunset time and devotees throng the Hill to glance a Dharshan of this MAKARA JOTHI. Any devotee visiting the temple for the first time is known as "KANNI AYYAPPAN". Before visiting the 'Hill Temple' they visit the "MOSQUE of VABARASWAMY", a Muslim Dharga , as VABARAR is known as THE CHIEF of ARMY of AYYAPPA when Lord set out in search of MAHISHI, a 'SHE-BUFFALOW DEMONESS' and killed her.