Very often, in South Indian temples nowadays, you see men wearing black clothes, unshaven, doing their worship. In some temples, you also see coconuts and palm seeds kept in urns, the old ‘para’, which was a measuring instrument for rice in olden days. Lamps are lit, and certain rituals are done.

To the people not familiar with this, it looks strange. This marks the intense season of Ayyappa worship in Kerala, drawing devotees from across India—even Punjabis make the pilgrimage to Sabarimala. It has been in........

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