The lord Ayyappa shrine of Sabarimala, Kerala’s famous mountainous Hindu pilgrim centre, was opened on Sunday evening for the annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage. The 41-day Mandalam pilgrimage season would start on the morning of Monday, the first day of the Vrischikam month of the Malayalam calendar.
The sanctum sanctorum of the lord Ayyappa temple was opened by the outgoing Melshanti (head priest), PN Narayanan Namboothiri, overseen by traditional chief priest of the shrine, Tantri Kantararu Rajeevaru, at 5.30 PM Sunday in the presence of thousands of pilgrims. The adjoining shrine of Malikappuram Devi also was opened on Sunday.
The Melshanti first opened the sanctum sanctorum, lighted the holy lamp inside, conducted the usual Pooja and came down the holy 18 steps leading to the temple courtyard where he lighted the fire column, Aazhi as the Mantra of “Saranam Ayyappa” rose from the lips of thousands of devotees.
EN Krishnadas Namboothiri and S Kesavan Namboothiri were installed as the Melshantis for the next one year for the lord Ayyappa shrine and the Malikappuram Devi temple respectively at 7.00 PM Sunday. The new Melshanti, Krishnadas Namboothiri, would open the sanctum sanctorum of the lord Ayyappa shrine on Monday morning for regular Poojas.
Officials of the Travancore Devaswom Board, the body in charge of the temple’s administration, said that all arrangements for the smooth conduct of this year’s two-phase pilgrimage had been completed. They said the TDB had already ensured that there were sufficient stocks of Appam and Aravana, the chief Prasadams of the temple.
The first phase of the pilgrimage lasting 41 days will come to an end with the closure of the sanctum sanctorum at 10.00 PM on December 27 after the Mandala Pooja. It would reopen for the Makaravilakku festival at 5.30 PM, December 30. The 65-day pilgrimage season will conclude with the closure of the shrine on January 20 after Makara Jyoti Darsan on January 14.