Festival · Ayyappa

Mandala Kalam begins

The first day of the Malayalam month of Vrischikam, when the 41-day Mandala season begins at Sabarimala. Many pilgrims put on the mala today and begin the vratam.

Mandala Kalam begins 2026
Tuesday 17 November 2026
New Delhi

For New Delhi, Tuesday 17 November 2026

Sunrise
6:45 am
Sunset
5:27 pm
Moonrise
12:53 pm
Moonset
12:06 am, 18 Nov

Worked out for your city. Panchangs can differ by a minute or so.

Full panchang for this day →

How it is kept

Customs vary by region and family

  • Put on the mala of tulasi or rudraksha beads and begin the 41-day vratam
  • Wear black, blue or saffron and keep to simple vegetarian food
  • Chant Swamiye Sharanam Ayyappa morning and evening

What it remembers

Mandala Kalam is the 41-day season of Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala, beginning on the first day of the Malayalam month of Vrischikam, in mid-November. The temple opens the evening before; on the first morning the new chief priests take charge, and pilgrims across the South put on the mala and begin their vratam, the vow they keep until they climb the eighteen steps.

Forty-one days

A mandala is a full round, and in the old reckoning a vow kept for 41 days is complete. Pilgrims to Sabarimala keep the vratam for a mandala: pure food, simple dress, celibacy and prayer, so that body and mind are ready before they see the god.

Every pilgrim a Swami

From the day the mala is put on, the pilgrim is called Swami, and calls everyone else Swami too, rich or poor. In the season the line between the god and his devotee is held to grow thin, as the words over his shrine say: Tat Tvam Asi, you are That.

The temple in the forest

Sabarimala stands high in the forests of the Western Ghats and opens only on set days of the year. The Mandala and Makaravilakku season, from Vrischikam to mid-Makaram, is the longest, and millions make the climb in it.

Beginning the vratam

Many put on the mala on the first day of Vrischikam, at a temple or from their guru swami, the experienced pilgrim who leads their group. Follow your guru swami where his way differs.

  1. Bathe early and go to an Ayyappa or Ganesha temple, or pray at home before his image.
  2. Put on the mala of tulasi or rudraksha beads, given by your guru swami or the temple priest.
  3. Wear black, blue or saffron, and go barefoot where you can.
  4. Keep to vegetarian food, with no alcohol or tobacco, and keep celibacy until the pilgrimage is done.
  5. Pray morning and evening, chanting Swamiye Sharanam Ayyappa, and join your group’s bhajans.
  6. Speak gently, keep away from anger, and greet everyone as Swami.

What you need

  • A mala of tulasi or rudraksha beads
  • Black, blue or saffron clothes
  • Camphor, incense and a lamp for daily prayer
  • A picture of Lord Ayyappa

Across India

Kerala

Sabarimala opens for the season and pilgrim camps fill at Nilakkal, Pamba and Erumeli, where groups begin the forest path.

Tamil Nadu

Swamis in black are seen in every town, and groups gather each evening for bhajans before they set out.

Karnataka

Groups keep the vratam together, and many hold a padi pooja, with eighteen lamp-lit steps, before the journey.

Andhra Pradesh and Telangana

Ayyappa deeksha is kept widely, with daily pujas at camps and temples through the season.

When it falls

The first day of Vrischikam in the Malayalam solar calendar: the day the Sun enters Vrischika (Scorpio), reckoned in Kerala, or the next day when it enters after the first three fifths of the daylight. The same date for every city.

These are the usual rules. A few days can differ by a day in your tradition, so check with your temple.

Mandala Kalam begins in the coming years

New Delhi, India time

  1. 2026Tuesday 17 November 2026
  2. 2027Wednesday 17 November 2027
  3. 2028Thursday 16 November 2028

Questions

When is Mandala Kalam in 2026?

Tuesday 17 November 2026, in New Delhi. In a few places it can fall a day apart, so the date above is worked out for your city.

When does Mandala Kalam fall?

The first day of Vrischikam in the Malayalam solar calendar: the day the Sun enters Vrischika (Scorpio), reckoned in Kerala, or the next day when it enters after the first three fifths of the daylight. The same date for every city.

How is Mandala Kalam kept?

Families put on the mala of tulasi or rudraksha beads and begin the 41-day vratam, wear black, blue or saffron and keep to simple vegetarian food and chant Swamiye Sharanam Ayyappa morning and evening. Customs vary by region and family.

Who is honoured on Mandala Kalam?

Ayyappa. The first day of the Malayalam month of Vrischikam, when the 41-day Mandala season begins at Sabarimala. Many pilgrims put on the mala today and begin the vratam.

When does the Mandala begin?

On the first of Vrischikam in the Malayalam calendar, in mid-November. The Sun enters Vrischika (Scorpio) the day before or that day; by Kerala’s rule, when it enters after the first three fifths of the daylight, the month, and the Mandala, begin the next day. The temple opens the evening before.

Why does the vratam last 41 days?

Forty-one days make a mandala, a full round, in the old reckoning of vows. The Mandala season ends with Mandala Pooja on its 41st day.

Do I need to book before going to Sabarimala?

The Travancore Devaswom Board, which runs the temple, asks pilgrims to book a darshan time through its Virtual Queue before they set out, and announces the season’s dates and hours.

Related

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