Dubai: Devotion, Divinity, Mark Sabarimala Ayyappa Swamy Puja Mahotsavam

Report and Pics: Shodhan Prasad
Daijiworld Media Network – Dubai (SP)

Dubai, Jan 8: Emirates Ayyappa Seva Sangham had organized Ayyappa Swamy Puja Mahotsavam on the sixth and seventh of January, 2011, at Emirates English Speaking School premises here. The entire school premises resembled the shrine of Lord Sabarimala back home in Kerala state, a place to which Ayyappa devotees from all over the world undertake their annual pilgrimage to have the darshan of the Lord on January 14 on the occasion of the holy ‘Makara Sankranthi Vallakku’.

At the entry point to the compound, a beautiful welcome arch (dwara) with plantain tree and coconuts hung on both sides had been set up. By the side of the entrance, a huge elephant (Keshavan), which looked like real one, was installed.  Every visitor stopped there to have himself to be photographed.  On the way to the entrance,  stalls providing information on Yoga, Ayurveda Medicare, Puja Prasadam coupons and others had been laid out, and one among them was a stall where copies of the photographs of Lord Aishwaryaishwarya, beautifully and creatively painted by the well- known artist, Ganesh Rai, had been exhibited, and where Rai himself was seen distributing copies to all the devotees.

Inside the school premises, for the first time in Dubai, a scale model of Sabarimala shrine was erected in the backdrop of the Sabarimala hill and eagle.  Full ritualistic procedures including Sastha puja were conducted under the supervision of the patriarch of a lineage of Sabarimala Melshantis, the reverred Kandararu Maheshwararu.  Along with Sastha puja, Sarvaishwarya puja, Annadhaanam, Archana, Thiladeepam (ellu thila velakku) etc., were conducted.

The traditional and famous ‘Theeyattu’ rituals were performed by Theeyattu Nambiars according to the traditions and laid down norms and rituals.

The puja started at 7 am on Thursday January 6, 2011, with  Ganapathi puja, Bhagawathi Seva and Bhajans, which continued till 7.30 pm on Friday January 7, concluding with Athazhapuja, Pushpabhishekam and Mangalarathi.  During these two days of the Mahotsavam, oblations, Usha puja, Panchavaadhyam, Deeparadhana, Theeyattu and many more pujas were performed from time to time, as per traditions.

The traditional and delicious ‘Mahaprasadam’ was served to all the devotees in an organized manner.  Devotees in large numbers arrived and witnessed the puja and sought blessings of Lord Ayyappa Swamy.  The whole atmosphere provided a divine experience to the visitors, with the smell of burning ghee, coconut, agar and diyas along with the fragrance of the flowers, permeating through the entire area. The devotees returned home, with a contented feeling of having been blessed by the Lord, and with a sense of fulfilment as if they had returned home after undertaking Sabarimala pilgrimage.