Pandalam in Pathanamthitta

Sree Ayyappa, the beloved presiding deity of the renowned Sabarimala Temple, was brought up in Pandalam as the adopted son of the Raja of Pandalam. The holy town of Pandalam, located near Chengannur in Pathanamthitta district, is perhaps second only to Sabarimala. It is the norm for pilgrims on the way to Sabarimala to offer prayers at the Valiyakoikal Temple on the banks of Achenkovil River, which has been modelled on the Sabarimala shrine. Three days prior to the legendary Makaravilaku Festival, the sacred ornaments of Sree Ayyappa are taken in a procession from Pandalam to Sabarimala.