The Object Before the Journey Begins
Before a single step onto the Pathinettam Padi, the eighteen sacred steps at Sabarimala, the Irumudi must already be on your head. Not in your hands. Not slung over a shoulder. On your head, where it stays for the entire climb. The word itself tells you what it is: iru means two in Malayalam, mudi means knot or bundle. Two bundles, tied together, carried as one. You cannot climb those steps without it. The rule is absolute.
