Sabarimala is a hill situated in

Perunad Perunad (''Ranni-Perunad'') is a scenic hilly village in Pathanamthitta district, Kerala state, India. Thiruvalla is the nearest railway station located at a distance of . It's located on the banks of Pamba River and Kakkad River. Perunad i ...

village, Ranni Taluk,

Pathanamthitta district Pathanamthitta District (), is one of the List of districts of Kerala, 14 districts in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kerala. The district headquarters is in the town of Pathanamthitta. There are four municipalitie ...

Kerala State Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

. This hill is situated at 72 kilometers from

Pathanamthitta Pathanamthitta (), is a municipality, city in southern Kerala, India, spread over an area of . It is the administrative capital of Pathanamthitta district. The town has a population of 37,538 (as of 2011 census). The Hindu pilgrim centre Sab ...

town. The distance from Ranni to Sabarimala is 60 kilometers. A motorable road is built from Ranni to Pampa, valley of Sabarimala hills. Sabarimala Sree Dharmasastha Temple, Malikappuram Temple are situated on one side of this hills. Sabarimala is located inside

Periyar National Park Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary (PNP) is a protected area located in the districts of Idukki and Pathanamthitta in Kerala, India. It is a renowned elephant and tiger reserve. The protected area encompasses , of which of the main z ...

in the Western Ghats. The height of Sabarimala from mean sea level is 1,260 meters. According to Valmiki Ramayana, an ascetic woman named

Shabari Shabari (, ), also known as Bhilni, Bhilani, and Shramana, is an elderly woman ascetic in the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. She is described as an ardently devoted woman who received Rama's blessing due to her bhakti towards him. Story Shabari w ...

, also known as Sabari, was believed to have lived in this region. She devoted herself to rigorous penance with the sole purpose of meeting Lord

Rama Rama (; , , ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu. In Rama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being. Also considered as the ideal man (''maryāda' ...

. Her opportunity came when

, while searching for

Sita Sita (; ), also known as Siya, Jānaki and Maithili, is a Hindu goddess and the female protagonist of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. Sita is the consort of Rama, the avatar of god Vishnu, and is regarded as an avatar of goddess Lakshmi. She is t ...

devi, visited her humble abode. This significant encounter led to the mountain being named "Sabarimala," which translates to "the mountain or hill of Sabari," honoring the old devotee.

Gallery

View of Hills

Blue mountains sabarimala kerala - panoramio.jpg, DISTANT MOUNTAINS^SABARIMALA - panoramio.jpg, GREEN CANOPY^SABARIMALA KERALA INDIA - panoramio.jpg, MOUNTAINS SABARIMALA KERALA - panoramio.jpg, Sabarimala idduki kerala - panoramio.jpg,

Flora of Sabarimala hills

Calophyllum polyanthum.jpg, FOREST TREE SABARIMALA KERALA - panoramio.jpg, GAINT TREE^SABARIMALA KERALA - panoramio.jpg, Mist forest sabarimala kerala - panoramio.jpg, Sabarimala.jpg, Stone tree.jpg,

References

Hills of Kerala Pages with unreviewed translations Sabarimala {{Pathanamthitta-geo-stub