The ceremonial procession carrying the sacred jewellery, Thiruvabharanam, will set off to Sabarimala from the Valiyakoickal Sastha Temple at Pandalam on Friday afternoon.
The palace premises adjoining the Valiyakoickal Sastha Temple at Pandalam has been witnessing heavy rush with a large number of Ayyappa devotees turning up for worshipping the sacred jewellery kept at the palace strong room since the past two weeks.
The Thiruvabharanam was offered to the Lord Ayyappa Temple at Sabarimala by the king of the erstwhile Pandalam royal kingdom who is believed to be the foster father of Ayyappa.
The palace strongroom remain open for the Thiruvabharanam darshan from 5.30 am and 8 pm from the beginning of the Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season.
The sacred attire will be taken out of the palace strongroom on Friday morning and will be handed over to the Travancore Devswom Board authorities by 4 am. The Thiruvabharanam will be kept at the Valiyakoickal Sastha Temple for the devotees to have darshan till 12.30 pm.
The procession carrying the Thiruvabharanam will set off from the Valiyakoickal Palace at 1 pm. Mr Harivarma Raja of Kaippuzha Panthaplavil Palace will be the royal representative escorting the ceremonial procession to Sabarimala, this year.
The royal entourage will halt at the Ayroor Puthiyakavu Devi Temple near Ranni on Friday evening and at Laha Sathram on the Mannarakulanji-Chalakkayam main trunk road leading to Sabarimala on Saturday evening.
The procession will reach Valiyanavattom near Pampa on Sunday afternoon. TDB authorities will receive the Thiruvabharanam when the procession on its arrival at Sabarimala Sannidhanam by 6.15 pm.
The Tantri, Kandararu Maheswararu, assisted by Melsanthi, N.Balamurali, will decorate the Ayyappa idol with the Thiruvabharanam prior to the deeparadhana to be held, later, at 6.30 pm.
Makarajyoti
Sighting of the celestial star, Makarajoyti, on the eastern horizon of the Sannidhanam and the ritualistic deeparadhana atop a remote hillside facing the Ayyappa shrine immediately after the deeparadhana at the temple are considered to be the auspicious events at Sabarimala on the Makaravilakku day.
Tens of thousands of devotees from deifferent parts of the country have already started camping at the Sannidhanam to worship the Makarajyoti as well as the deeparadhana atop Ponnambalamedu.
