- Makara Jyothi
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Practices
Difference between makaravilakku and makarajyothi
The makaravilakku light that appears three times on the hills on every Makara Sankranthi dayMakara Jyothi is a celestial star which is worshiped as a part of ritual in Sabarimala Temple in the day of Makara Samkranti (Winter solstice). The sight is considered auspicious by Hindus.
Makara Vilakku is a natural light that appears three times at the time of Deeparadhana on the eastern horizon at Ponnambalamedu hills. Popular belief is that the Makara Vilakku is being lit there in comemmoration of the aarathi performed by Devrishis and Devas at the time of revelation of His Divine Roopa by Manikantan. This event marks the culmination of the long and arduous pilgrimage to Sabarimala. Makaravilakku disappears in the evening after the Thiruvaabharanam (divine ornaments) are brought into the sanctum sanctorum and are placed on the Lord. The most significant rituals of worship are performed at the day of winter solstice Makara Sankaranthi (14th of January every year). It draws the second largest number of pilgrims to a place of worship in India, of particular significance is the fact that this is a remote forest in the western Ghats in Kerala. Makara Rashi or Makar rasi (Capricorn Zodiac sign) is the tenth among 12 Rasi kootas in Hindu Astrology. The star makara is often mistakenly used to refer to the light appearing thrice on the hill next to the sanctum sanctorum, which is in fact the makara vilakku since vilakku, literally means a Lamp or light. Rahul Easwar, grandson of traditional supreme priest of the Sabarimala temple, Tantri Kantaru Maheswararu mentioned to The Hindu[4] that, the Makaravilakku was a fire lit by human hand on the hill neighbouring Sabarimala while the Makarajyothi was a star that appeared in the evening sky on the day marking the culmination of the annual festival.
“It is the star that is worshiped as a celestial light. The Makaravilakku is merely a ritual involving the lighting of a fire as a symbolic act,” he said.
"There is a practice of lighting fire on the top of mountains known as Beacon Mountains which work similar like light house for ships, Beacon Mountains guide the trekkers. Also some believe it is a ritual practiced as a celestial signature of mankind to alien world" Anthropologist Biju F Kallukkaran
Contents
Popularity and debate
In 2011, At least 104 Sabarimala devotees were killed and over 55 were injured in a stampede when a jeep crashed into home-bound pilgrims at Pulmedu in Kerala's Idukki district, in the worst tragedy to strike the worshippers of the famed shrine in a decade. The myth of this divine light that shines on a particular festival day, at a particular time in the evening has been drawing millions on pilgrimage to this remote temple in the rain forests of Kerala every year. The most famous Ayyappa shrine in India is the one at Sabarimala with over 50 million devotees visiting it every year.
The huge crowds who witness the favourable event has been on the rise every year.[1] In 2010, it is believed that 1.5 million devotees witnessed Makarajyoti light.[2] Compared with previous years, the revenue collection during the Makaravilakku period is also higher. In 2008, the total donations was Rs 720 million against previous year’s Rs. 723 million.[3]
In May 2008, a controversy started in Kerala's media about Makara Vilakku. Cherian Philip, the chairman of KTDC, started the debate. Former Devasom Board President G.Raman Nair said in an interview that Makara Vilakku is ritualistically lit, and later the Chief Priest of Sabiramala and the Devaswom Minister of Kerala clarified that Makara Vilakku and Makara Jyothi are two different things. One is the celestial star which is worshipped, and other is symbolically lit in a place called Ponnambalamedu. They clarified that there is nothing supernatural and it is misunderstanding that led to the controversy.[4]
Fatalities
On January 14, 1999 at least 25 Ayyappa devotees were killed and over 100 injured in a landslide when a large number of devotees climbed a hillock to have a view of the Jyoti, a portion of the hillock caved in, resulting in the tragedy. [5]
On January 14, 2011 102 devotees were killed and more injured at Pulmedu, a place where the Jyoti can be viewed apart from Sannidhanam.
References
- ^ "Sighting of `Magharajothi' brings good luck and blessings". Chennai, India: The Hindu Online. January 14, 2006. http://www.hindu.com/2006/01/14/stories/2006011406820500.htm.
- ^ "Pilgrims witness Makara Jothi". Manorama Online. http://week.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/contentView.do?contentId=3449548&programId=1073754912&pageTypeId=1073754893&contentType=EDITORIAL&BV_ID=@@@.
- ^ "Sighting of `Magharajothi' brings good luck and blessings". Chennai, India: The Hindu Online ttp://www.hindu.com/2006/01/14/stories/2006011406820500.htm. January 15, 2010. http://www.hindu.com/2008/01/15/stories/2008011553760400.htm.
- ^ "Makaravilakku is lit by hand: Tantri". The Hindu (Chennai, India). May 28, 2008. http://www.hindu.com/2008/05/28/stories/2008052855171000.htm.
- ^ "25 Killed and 100 injured in landslips". The Indian Express. http://www.indianexpress.com/res/web/pIe/ie/daily/19990115/01550715.html.
Further reading
- Makara Jyothis Enna Thattippu (Makara Jyothis : A fraud) : Pavanan - Published by Kerala Yukthivadi Sangham, 1981
- Makara Jyothi - A.V.Jose (Yukthivicharam, February 1981)
- Makara Jyothikku Purakil (The secret of Makara Jyothi) - Unni Kakkanad (Yukthivadi, February 1981)
- Vyajagni (The Fake-flame) : T. N. Gopakumar (Kalakaumudi Weekly, Issue No: 1638, 2007) (Republished in Yukthirekha, January–February 2007)
- Illustrated Weekly of India, February 15, 1987
- Indian Express, Cochin edition, January 10, 1988
- http://expressbuzz.com/states/kerala/for-god%E2%80%99s-sake-end-this-fraud/239858.html indian express
- http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article1116827.ece the hindu
- http://www.hindu.com/2011/01/22/stories/2011012263371300.htm the hindu
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vCOTF8-7nM
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i58IaLnICrs&feature=related
External links
- The official website of Travancore Devaswom Board
- More mythological detail about Lord Ayyapan
- Clarification of the matter by Minister
- - Media reports on Makara Vilakku/Makara Jyoti
- Sabarimala - The Recurring Tragedy Caused by State-sponsored Superstition
- - Minister G.Sudhakaran on Makara Vilakku / Makara Jyothi
- An amateur experience of makarajyothi
Festivals in the Hindu calendar Major festivals - Pongal (Makar Sankranti)
- Holi
- Rama Navami
- Krishna Janmashtami
- Maha Shivaratri
- Onam
- Ganesh Chaturthi
- Navratri (Mysore Dasara – Durga Puja – Vijayadashami)
- Diwali (Bhau-Beej)
- Chhath
- Vat Purnima
Regional New Year - Gudi Padwa (Marathi, Konkani)
- Ugadi (Telugu, Kannada)
- Cheti Chand (Sindhi)
- Bihu (Assamese)
- Vaisakhi (Punjabi)
- Vishuva Sankranti (Oriya)
- Pohela Boishakh (Bengali)
- Puthandu (Tamil)
- Vishu (Malayalee)
Holy days Holy periods Categories:- Fire deities
- Hindu temples in Kerala
- Hindu festivals
- Festivals in India
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