Till January 2025, Sabarimala Pilgrims Are Permitted To Carry Coconuts In Cabin Baggage

The Sabarimala pilgrimage, one of the most spiritually significant journeys in India, draws millions of devotees from across the country each year. Pilgrims have embarked on this rigorous journey with utmost faith, following strict rituals, dietary codes, and fasting regimens for generations. Pilgrims can carry coconuts as part of their cabin baggage when flying to Kerala for the Sabarimala pilgrimage.

A Special Travel Update For Sabarimala Pilgrimage

For devotees, carrying a coconut to Sabarimala is much more than a ritualistic formality. It symbolises purity, faith, and devotion, and has deep roots in Hindu mythology and tradition.

For a certain time, pilgrims are permitted to have coconuts in their cabin baggage, according to the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS). Because they are flammable, coconuts are not allowed in cabin luggage according to current regulations. To make travel easier for Sabarimala pilgrims, Naidu said on Saturday that carrying coconuts as cabin baggage during the Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage period” is now permitted. In a post on X, he stated that the directive will remain in force until January 20, 2025, provided that the required security measures are in place. Only after completing the necessary physical, X-ray, and ETD (Explosive Trace Detector) checks will coconuts be permitted to be brought inside the cabin.

Ghee is placed inside a coconut during the ceremony, and it is subsequently stored in the bag with additional offerings.

Also Read: Pilgrims Without Online Registration Are Now Allowed At Sabarimala For Darshan

Importance Of Coconut During Rituals

The Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple stands as a beacon for those devoted to Lord Ayyappa, an incarnation of the Hindu god Dharma Shasta. I mid-November, the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala will open for the two-month pilgrimage season, which will last until the end of January. Every year, thousands of devotees flock to the hill temple, and most of them bring ‘Irumudi Kettu’, the sacred bag that contains offerings to the Lord, such as a coconut packed with ghee. As part of the ‘Kettunirakal’ rite, pilgrims who are making the journey to Sabarimala typically prepare and pack ‘Irumudi Kettu.’

For devotees, this journey is a transformative spiritual experience. The rituals performed at Sabarimala often leave a deep, lasting impact on devotees, who consider their visit to the hill shrine a fulfilment of a lifetime of faith and devotion.

Cover image credits: Canva