Sabarimala has once again started reverberating with the chants of ‘Swami Saranam, Ayyappa Saranam’ with the beginning of the annual pilgrimage season on Wednesday.
Hundreds of devotees from all over the country undertook their pilgrimage to the forest shrine on Wednesday, the first day of the Malayalam month of Vrischikom.
Though there was an incessant flow of pilgrims to the hillock from the early hours, the queue for the darshan at the Ayyappa shrine was regulated in the morning itself.
The new head priest (Melsanthi) T.M. Unnikrishnan Namboodiri from Cherpulassery in Palakkad opened the sanctum sanctorum at 3 a.m.
Temple rituals
The temple rituals began with the chief priest (Tantri), Kandararu Rajeevararu, performing the Ashtadravya Maha Ganapathi homom followed by Ashtabhishekom, Neyyabhishekom, and Ushapuja. There was a long line of devotees waiting for the Neyyabhishekom, pouring of ghee brought by devotees over the Ayyappa idol. The ritual came to a close by 11.30 a.m.
Kalabhabhishekom
A Kalabhabhishekom was performed at the Ayyappa temple prior to the Utchapuja.
The Tantri, assisted by the Melsanthi, performed the Brahmakalasapuja and the golden urn carrying the sandal paste (kalabhom) for Abhishekom was taken out in a ceremonial procession to the sanctum sanctorum, with the accompaniments of Marappani and other traditional temple percussion.
The sandal paste offered to the deity was distributed as prasadom among the devotees.
Prayar Gopalakrishnan, TDB president; Ajay Tharayil, member; M.Manoj, Special Commissioner appointed by the Kerala High Court; C.P.Ramaraja Prema Prasad, Devaswom Commissioner; P.Vijayan, Inspector General of Police; V.S.Jayakumar, TDB Secretary, and G.Muraleekrishnan, Chief Engineer, offered prayers at the Ayyappa temple in the morning.
The temple will be closed for three days with the culmination of the 41-day day Mandalam pilgrim season on December 26 and will reopen for the Makaravilakkku festival on December 30 afternoon.
Petta Thullal
The Petta Thullal ceremony at Erumeli as part of the Makaravilakku festival will be held on January 11, 2017, and the procession carrying the sacred jewellery, Thiruvabharanam, for the Makaravilakku celebrations at the Sabarimala temple will set off from Pandalam on January 12.
Makaravilakku
The Makaravilakku will be celebrated on January 14 and the temple will be closed after facilitating a darshan exclusively for the royal representative of the Pandalam Palace on January 20 morning.
