A Y Y A P P A N D E V O T E E S
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Ayyappan devotees come, for the most part, from the South Eastern Sate of Andra-Pradesh. They worship Lord Ayyappa, a Hindu deity that is mostly popular and revered in South India.
During their 41 day pilgrimage, which usually takes place in December and January of each year, the Ayyappas travel from temple to temple, visiting some of the most significant religious towns and villages in South India. Reaching the Temple of Lord Ayyappa of Sabarimala, in Kerala, constitutes the culminating point of the pilgrimage and marks the end of their tour.
These photographs were taken over the last few years, in Karnataka Sate, as well as in the great ancient Dravidian temples of Tamil Nadu, where i encountered several different groups of Ayyappan pilgrims.
South India, 2008 to 2016
