SABARIMALA AYYAPPA SEVA SAMAJAM (SASS) is an Organization of Devotees of Lord Ayyappa worldwide.
ABOUT SASS
Vision
To emerge as a truly representative body of Ayyappa devotees across the world to protect, preserve and propagate Ayyappa Dharma as embodied by the holy shrine of Sabarimala, rising above caste, class and language barriers and through this work towards Hindu unity and national reconstruction.
Mission
- SASS mission is captured in 5S:
- Satsang, Swadhyay, Seva, Samarasta and Sangharsh
- Satsang means assembly of devotees with good thoughts to do good deeds
- Swadhyay means studying by oneself and combined study with other like minded people
- Seva means offering one’s body, mind and resources to the society to the less privileged members
- Samarasta means seeing the whole society as one with empathy and sense of belonging and oneness
- Sangharsh means using peaceful, democratic means of agitation to bring about social change
- SASS mission is to be an agent of social change using the above 5 means.
SABARIMALA AYYAPPA SEVA SAMAJAM (SASS) is an Organization of Devotees of Lord Ayyappa worldwide. It is a registered Public Charitable Trust with Registration Number 226/2008, registered on 13th November, 2008, at Pathanamthitta in Kerala State, India and the Holy Sabarimala Temple is located in the Pathanamthitta District.
It is an organization, started in Kerala later expanded to the Southern States – Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra, now spread over to 11 States with expansion plans in all States of India and even other countries where Devotees of Lord Ayyappa are settled.
TheRegistered Office is “Kesava Smrithi”, Kallarakkadavu, Pathanamthitta – 689645, Kerala State, India with Administrative Office at Ayyappa Vihar, Shiva Temple Road, Viyyur, Thrissur- 680 010, Kerala, India.
Even though many Organizations are in the field of service in the name of Lord Ayyappa, they are not at all sufficient or unable to cater to the growing needs of ever growing Devotees of Lord Ayyappa, commonly individual devotee is called as “Ayyappa Swamy”….
The Sabarimala Temple is managed by Government of Kerala through a separate Organization in the name of “Travancore Devaswom Board” are supposed to provide all kinds of facilities to the Devotees, but there is huge gap between the demand and supply.
Swargeeya Rajaguru M. N. Nambiar (Cine Artist), Swargeeya M. N. Sukumaran Nambiar, Sri. Kummanam Rajasekharan (Ex. Governor of Mizoram), Sri. Erode N. Rajan, Swami Ayyappadas, Shri.V.K. Viswanathan and Shri. V. P. Manmadhan Nair, Devotees and Hindu Organizational workers, along with other likeminded people started this Organization – Sabarimala Ayyappa Seva Samajam (SASS) aiming at:
- Doing all kinds of service – Annadanam, Medical and strtcher facilities to the Devotees enroute and at Sabarimala during Mandala – Makaravilakku season of 65 days in the months of November, December, January every year and
- Organising Devotees of Lord Ayyappa through weekly group meetings – satsang – (Ayyappa Yogams), throughout the year, to teach Ayyappa Dharma -Sanathana Dharma and unite them to make them of good character, disciplined, pious, patriotic citizens…
- to conduct Swach Erumely and Swach Sabarimala with thousands of Ayyappa Sevaks
- to facilitate social reformation through social justice, social equality irrespective caste, creed, tribe etc.
Organisation has Volunteers in 13 States in which about 85% work is distributed in the 5 Southern States (Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka , Telangana & Andhra).
- Number of Ayyappa Yogams (Weekly Gathering) : 6000 (approximately)
- Number of Participants in the above Yogams : More than One lakh
- Number of Registered Volunteers as Ayyappa Sevak : 15000 (appr)
- Number of Uthram Pooja (Monthly gathering) (Other than above 1 ) : 2500 (appr)
- Main Ayyappa Seva Kendra (ASK) at Sannidhanam, Pampa, Nilakkal, Erumely and Vizhikkithodu (enroute Erumely-Pamba trekking route) – Free Annadanam, Snacks, supply of medicated drinking water, ginger coffee etc.
- Number of Ayyappa Seva Kendra (ASK) : More than 250 places (Free Annadanam, snacks, medicated drinking water, Resting place, Information centre, etc)
- Swatch Sabarimala/Erumely (Cleanng – sanitation) : Every year immediately after Makaravilakku at these 2 places in which more than 2500 Volunteers participate.
- Sanitation works at more than 15 pilgrim centres/rivers in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu immediately after Makaravilakku season.
- Medical Camp at Kalaketty – Every year during the Makaravilakku season
- Blood donation camps : more than 10 places
- Eye donation willingness camps : 3 places
- Ambulance service at Erumely and Ernakulam
- Tribal welfare service at Koonamkara near E rumely
- Honouring of Guruswamy functions: more than 1000 places
- Notice distribution – Awareness on “Plastic Free Sabarimala” and “Plastic Free Erumudi” and awareness classes about this in the 6000 Ayyappa Yogams.
- Helped all the 104 Victims of the “Pulmedu Tragedy” in transportation of their bodies to their native places and arranging Insurance claim settlement.
The members of SASS are Devotees of Lord Ayyappa and are doing organizational work as a Service and hence are called as “Ayyappa Sevaks”. There is no membership campaign, no membership fee etc. However, to identify the workers – sevaks – a list of Ayyappa Sevaks is prepared and Identity Cards are issued to individuals by the concerned State General Secretary.
There are two types of Ayyappa Sevaks:
- Aajeevan (life long) Ayyappa Sevak is a Sevak who is willing to do services life long and
- Short term ( 3 Year) Ayyappa Sevak is one who is ready to do services for a 3 year term, which can be extended later.
Aajeevan Ayyappa Sevak will donate Rs.1000/- whereas Three Year Ayyappa Sevak will donate Rs.300/- to the Organization and this amount will be utilised for preparation of the ID card and to meet expenses related to organizational work.
The Application Form is very simple, available with District Secretary, can be filled in and forwarded to the concerned State General Secretary along with a Passport Size Photo and copy of Aadhar Card or any other ID Proof.
Ayyappa Yogam is the basic unit of SASS.
The meaning of the word ‘Yogam’ is ‘coming together’ and the word ‘Ayyappa’ is added because Lord Ayyappa Himself organised Ayyappa Yogams during his life time.
Shreedharmasastha, during the period of his incarnation (Avatar) as Ayyappa (son of Pandalam Raja), organised groups under the name ‘Yogams’, by selecting youngsters from the surrounding areas and gave them physical and mental training such as ‘Kalari’- a martial art – to prepare them for war against the demonic forces, for the purpose of saving Good people and protecting ‘Dharma’.
Among the various Yogams, five Yogams, viz.
- Ambalappuzha Yogam
- Aalangat Yogam
- Muhamma Yogam
- Cheerappanchira Yogam and
- Manarkad Yogam…
were considered important, in which only the first two Yogams are still in existence.
‘Petta Thullal’ – a special type of dance (with Nadaswaram orchestra and Saranaghosham – chanting ‘swamy thinthaka thom, ayyappa thinthaka thom’) by Ayyappas – devotees- on 12th of January every year by ‘Ambalappuzha and Aalangat Yogams’ at Erumely, near Sabarimala, is considered continuation of the original Ayyappa Yogams started by Lord Ayyappa. Hence, we decided to call our basic unit / branch as ‘Ayyappa Yogam’.
Coming together of Ayyappa Devotees (including ladies and children) and holding a meeting or Satsangh in a particular place (temple or common place or a house) for about One hour is the essence of an Ayyappa Yogam.
In an area with a population of about 1000 persons an Ayyappa Yogam shall be formed. One Senior Guruswamy (Ayyappa Devotee who has completed several years of Sabarimala Darshan) may be selected as ‘Yogapramukh’ – leader – to conduct the proceedings of Yogam. 3-4 Assistants also may be selected to help the Yogapramukh.
The periodicity of Ayyappa Yogam is Once in a week, any fixed convenient day, preferably Saturday, fixed time for one hour.
The photo of Lord Ayyappa to be decorated with garland made of fresh flowers. The surroundings shall be clean, made of divinity with the good smell of Joss sticks – agar bathi- and fragrant benzoingum.
The program shall be started by lighting lamp – Nilavilakku – by a Senior Guruswamy along with chanting of ‘Saranamayyappa’ – Saranaghosham – by all. There shall be singing of Bhajans of Lord Ayyappa and other Gods also. One person may tell about Samajam, moral stories, spiritual stories, explanation about Ayyappa Dharma, Sanathana Dharma, concept of Vrutha, Erumudi etc., importance of Cleanliness, not only in Sabarimala, but everywhere etc. etc. for 15- 20 minutes. A brief discussion on local events, news etc. which would help or affect the society may be included. Finally, the Yogam to be concluded by Deeparadhana or Karpoorarathi with ‘Saranaghosham’ and/or ‘Harivarasanam’ chanting. Distribution of Prasadam is optional.
The Birth Star of Lord Ayyappa is ‘Uthram’ and every month the day on which Uthram star comes, is celebrated as Uthram Pooja. The program of Uthram Pooja is same as Ayyappa Yogam, but with participation of more devotees and duration may extend up to one and half hour. ‘Shri Dharmasastha Ashtotharashatha Namam’ (108 names) or ‘Sahasra Namam’ (1000 names) shall be chanted on this occasion.