Sabarimala Temple, located in Kerala in the Periyar Tiger Reserve in the Western Ghats of Pathanamthitta district, is home to one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in India. Dedicated to Lord Ayyappa, the temple attracts millions of devotees from all over the world, especially during the annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku season (November-January). Nestled amidst dense forests and rugged hills, Sabarimala offers not only a deep spiritual experience but also an enchanting experience of Kerala’s natural beauty.

The history of Sabarimala is deeply intertwined with the Pandalam royal family of Kerala, who are believed to be the lineage of Lord Ayyappa, the presiding deity of the Sabarimala shrine. The Pandalam kingdom, established in 903 AD, was founded by the Pandya dynasty, and the royal family holds a significant place in the Sabarimala lore. Lord Ayyappa is often depicted as the son of the Pandalam Raja, and he grew up to become the commander of the Raja’s army.

During those days, the entire Western coast of India used to be regularly frequented by traders, seafarers and plundering pirates of various nationalities. Even from the remote past, Arab pirates were attacking different parts of Kerala, though a narrative is assiduously propagated that the Arab traders came only for trade and commerce. A mysterious Muslim pirate named Vavar (could be a colloquial pronunciation for Babar), either of Turkish origin or a Shia from Babylon or an Arab nomadic from Mecca, fought and lost to Ayyappa multiple times before becoming his trusted lieutenant.

In current circumstances, such an attack from the seas would have been labelled as a ‘terror attack’, like the 2008 Mumbai attacks, also referred to as 26/11 attacks, which were carried out by sea-borne terrorists. The pirate Vavar had launched a maritime terror attack at Kayamkulam, near Pandalam. The local king sought the help of the Pandalam Raja to retaliate against the foreigner. The Pandalam King despatched Lord Ayyappa, who subjugated the foreign pirate Vavar. Perhaps, in the annals of India’s maritime history, this could rank as the earliest sea-borne terror attack that was effectively repelled by shore-based defenders.

The maritime environment is an important part of the modern battlespace that has been changed by the advent of strategic terrorism. The traditional openness of the maritime frontier leaves numerous opportunities to be exploited for piracy and maritime crime on the world’s seaways. By trouncing and detaining Vavar, Lord Ayyappa sent another important message to the world: never allow the defeated foreigner to return to his homeland.

For example, the cardinal mistake made by many Indian rulers in the case of Mahmud of Ghazni, the Turkish marauder, was that though he was defeated 17 times between 1000 to 1027 AD, every time, the Hindu rulers magnanimously spared his life and permitted him to flee to his homeland.........

© News18