Sabarimala pilgrimage: virtual queue, season dates and travel
Plan Sabarimala: the Mandala and Makaravilakku season, virtual queue booking, the trek from Pamba, getting there from Kochi and Chengannur.
By the Agrima Holidays Team · Updated October 2026 · 2 min read
About Sabarimala
The Sabarimala temple of Lord Ayyappa sits in the forested Western Ghats of Pathanamthitta district in Kerala. Millions of pilgrims arrive each season after observing a vratham of austerity, wearing black or blue and carrying the irumudi on their heads.
Season dates
- Mandala season: from mid-November to late December
- Makaravilakku: around 14 January, the peak day
- The temple also opens for the first days of each Malayalam month
Check the Travancore Devaswom Board’s official calendar each year.
Virtual queue
Every pilgrim books a darshan slot through the official Sabarimala online portal. Carry the printed booking and the ID used. Slots for the peak weeks fill fast.
Getting there
- Kochi airport, about 160 km, and Thiruvananthapuram airport, about 170 km
- Chengannur station, about 90 km, the main rail head
- KSRTC buses run to Pamba
- From Pamba, the climb to Sannidhanam is about 5 km through the forest
Temple customs
Follow the temple’s current rules and customs for entry, dress and conduct, which the Devaswom Board publishes each season. Plastic is banned on the route.
What we arrange
We book flights, trains, hotels in Kochi or Chengannur and cars to Pamba, and combine Sabarimala with Guruvayur or a Kerala holiday for family members.
Share your dates and we send a plan within 24 hours on working days.
