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Sabarimala Yatra

monthly-pooja season

Monthly Poojas — Malayalam Year 1202 (2026-27)

Opens: Wednesday, 17 June 2026 · Closes: Friday, 14 May 2027

Sabarimala temple opens for 5 days at the start of each Malayalam month for the monthly pooja. A short window for devotees who can't time the major seasons but want a Sannidhanam visit.

Outside of the major Mandala / Makaravilakku / Vishu windows, Sabarimala opens for 5 days at the start of each Malayalam month (Chingam, Kanni, Thulam, Vrishchikam, Dhanu, Makaram, Kumbham, Meenam, Medam, Edavam, Mithunam, Karkidakam). These windows are quieter — fewer crowds, more contemplative darshan — and are favoured by devotees with flexible travel windows or who want to avoid peak-season densities. Each window opens with an evening pooja the day before, then runs through 5 days of darshan.

Daily opening (Sannidhanam)

Morning

5:00 AM → 1:00 PM

Evening

4:00 PM → 10:00 PM

Monthly windows have somewhat reduced hours compared to peak Mandala / Makaravilakku seasons. Always verify with TDB closer to the date — official dates may shift by ±1 day based on the lunar calendar.

Key dates within the season

  • 17 Jun 2026

    Mithunam month opening

    First monthly pooja window of MY1202 — 5 days of off-peak darshan.

  • 17 Jul 2026

    Karkidakam month opening

    Karkidakam (monsoon month) — quietest of the year, suited for contemplative pilgrims.

  • 17 Aug 2026

    Chingam month opening

    Start of the new Malayalam year. Sabarimala temple opens for 5 days that coincide with the Onam festival window in Kerala.

  • 17 Sept 2026

    Kanni month opening

    Kanni month — typical 5-day pooja window.

  • 18 Oct 2026

    Thulam month opening

    Thulam month — last monthly window before Mandala season begins.

  • 21 Jan 2027

    Makaram (post-Makaravilakku) closing pooja

    Brief 5-day window after Makaravilakku before the temple closes for Kumbham.

  • 12 Feb 2027

    Kumbham month opening

    Kumbham month — temple reopens after the post-Makaravilakku closure.

  • 14 Mar 2027

    Meenam month opening

    Meenam month — last monthly window before the Vishu season.

  • 14 Apr 2027

    Medam month opening — coincides with Vishu

    Medam month pooja runs concurrently with the Vishu season — see the dedicated Vishu page.

  • 14 May 2027

    Edavam month opening

    Edavam month — final monthly window of MY1202.

What are the monthly poojas?

Sabarimala opens for 5 days at the start of each Malayalam month — outside the major Mandala, Makaravilakku, and Vishu seasons. These are regular monthly openings, not “festivals” — they exist so devotees who can’t time the peak windows still have a path to Sannidhanam.

When are they?

The Malayalam calendar runs differently from the Gregorian — each Malayalam month starts roughly mid-Gregorian-month. Malayalam Year 1202 (2026-27) runs from Chingam (mid-Aug 2026) through Karkidakam (mid-Jul 2027).

The monthly windows in MY1202 are listed in the key dates table above. Each is a 5-day window starting on the first day of the Malayalam month.

Who should plan around monthly poojas?

  • Bangalore devotees with flexible work windows who want off-peak crowds
  • Senior devotees who find Mandala / Makaravilakku crowds difficult
  • Devotees completing their second or later pilgrimage (the 41-day vratham is shorter / modulated)
  • Anyone who’s already taken maladharanam but couldn’t make the major-season window

Crowds + queue

Monthly poojas are the quietest windows of the year at Sannidhanam. Expect:

  • Short queues for darshan (often <1 hour vs. 6-12 hours during Mandala Pooja)
  • Lighter accommodation pressure at Pampa
  • Easier KSRTC bus availability from Bangalore (no special Q-pass surge)
  • The temple still requires the virtual queue Q-pass — book via virtualq.sabarimalaonline.org ~30 days in advance.
About the Chingam (Onam) overlap

The Chingam month pooja window (mid-August 2026) coincides with the Onam festival in Kerala. Onam is a Kerala cultural festival — Sree Ayyappa Temple Yeshwanthpur does not observe Onam separately. We surface this window as the Chingam-month opening; the Onam overlap is noted for devotees who specifically search for “Sabarimala Onam dates.”

Dates above are based on the published Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) calendar for MY1202. Verify on sabarimalaonline.org closer to the date before finalising travel. The temple’s local Tantri (at Sree Ayyappa Temple, Yeshwanthpur) can advise on shortened vratham observances if you’re planning an off-peak window.

Official source: https://sabarimalaonline.org/