Niraputhari Mahotsavam to Be Celebrated at Sabarimala on August 5, 2025
The sacred hill shrine of Sabarimala is preparing to celebrate one of its most spiritually significant festivals — Niraputhari Mahotsavam — on August 5, 2025. To confirm the date of this revered occasion, Team Sabarimala Uptodate (Sabarimala Ayyappa Yuva Seva Samithi) contacted Malikkapuram Melsanthi, Sree Vasudevan Namboothiri, who confirmed that this year’s Niraputhari Mahotsavam will be observed on August 5, 2025.
The Niraputhari Mahotsavam marks the offering of newly harvested rice/paddy to Lord Ayyappa, symbolizing gratitude for a bountiful harvest. The term Niraputhari comes from two Malayalam words — Nira, meaning “full” or “abundance,” and Puthari, meaning “new rice.”
This festival is typically observed in the Malayalam month of Karkadakam, often referred to as the Ramayana month, a time considered highly auspicious for spiritual reflection and temple observances.
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The essence of the Niraputhari celebration is centered around the ceremonial procession and offering of freshly harvested paddy sheaves (Nel) at the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. These sacred sheaves are presented in a traditional procession led by the Tantri (chief priest) and Melsanthi (head priest). In a symbolic gesture of gratitude, the first yield of the harvest is offered to the presiding deity, honoring the timeless relationship between nature, humanity, and the divine
Once the offering is made, the blessed paddy sheaves are distributed among devotees, who carry them home as a symbol of prosperity and divine blessings.