At Erumeli, a small town on the traditional forest route to Sabarimala, a Hindu temple and a Muslim mosque stand almost face to face across the road — and every pilgrim season hundreds of thousands of Ayyappa devotees honour both. Behind that unusual sight is one of Kerala’s best-loved legends: the friendship of Lord Ayyappa and his companion Vavar.
The prince and the warrior
In the story handed down at Pandalam, the young prince Manikantan — worshipped as Ayyappa — is sent to face a feared raider named Vavar, remembered in different tellings as an Arab sea-warrior or a Muslim mystic who had come to the Malabar coast. The two are said to have fought for three days, each unable to overcome the other. Recognising each other’s greatness, they stopped, embraced, and from then on lived as brothers, with Vavar joining Ayyappa’s mission.
It is a legend, not documented history, and its details vary from telling to telling — but its meaning has been remarkably durable: a Hindu god and a Muslim saint bound in loyalty and respect.
Why pilgrims stop at Erumeli
Erumeli is where that bond is enacted. The Vavar mosque (Vavarambalam) stands opposite the Petta Sree Dharmasastha temple, and by tradition a pilgrim pays respects at Vavar’s shrine — where a Muslim priest conducts the rituals — before crossing to the Ayyappa temple and continuing towards the hills. For generations the two spaces have been treated, in that act of obeisance, as parts of one pilgrimage.
The Petta Thullal
The most striking sight at Erumeli is the Petta Thullal, a frenzied ritual dance performed during the Mandala–Makaravilakku season (roughly mid-November to mid-January). Devotees, their bodies smeared with colour and carrying sticks and mock weapons, dance from the Sastha temple through the streets — commemorating, in one reading, the god’s victory over the demon Mahishi. First-time pilgrims (the Kanni Ayyappas) are expected to take part before they may proceed to Sabarimala.
Visiting Erumeli
Outside the pilgrimage months Erumeli is a quiet plantation town, but the temple, the mosque and the ritual grounds are open year-round and easy to reach from Kottayam or Pathanamthitta. See practical details on the Erumeli place page, and browse more of the district from the Kottayam hub.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Vavar?
Vavar, revered as Vavarswami, is remembered in Kerala tradition as a Muslim companion of Lord Ayyappa. Legends variously describe him as an Arab sea-raider, a Muslim mystic or a warrior; the historical figure behind the legend is uncertain, but the tradition of honouring him is centuries old.
Why do Sabarimala pilgrims visit a mosque?
By long tradition, pilgrims on the Erumeli route pay respects at the Vavar mosque before the Ayyappa temple, honouring the friendship of Ayyappa and Vavar. It is one of the most visible expressions of shared Hindu–Muslim devotion in Kerala.
When is the Petta Thullal held?
The Petta Thullal is performed during the Mandala–Makaravilakku pilgrimage season, roughly mid-November to mid-January, and is especially expected of first-time Sabarimala pilgrims.