The Travancore Devaswom Board has started preparations for the medicated oil treatment of the teak wood brought from the Konni forests for replacing the old temple flag mast at Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple with it.
The carpentry work on the teak wood has been completed under the leadership of master craftsmen Ananthan Achary and Palani Achary at a specially prepared enclosure at the Anjaneya Auditorium at Pampa in the foothills of Sabarimala.
TDB president Prayar Gopalakrishnan formally launched the preparation of medicated oil for treating the teak wood at a function held at Pampa on Tuesday.
Curing process
The medical oil is being prepared with 35 herbs, and the teak wood will be kept immersed in a large vessel filled with the oil for six months as part of the curing process.
The TDB has decided to replace the old flag mast with a new one on the basis of the recommendations made by Vasthu experts and the astrological consultation conducted at Sabarimala. The experts found the mast decayed.
The teak wood suitable for the proposed mast was identified in the Konni forests and the wood was brought to Pampa in a ceremonial procession in September 2015.
The existing flag mast will be dismantled on February 16, 2016, and the foundation stone for the new flag mast will be laid later, on April 7.
Installation
The installation of the new mast will be held in the auspicious muhurtham between 11.50 a.m. and 1.40 p.m. on June 25, 2017.
According to TDB sources, it requires not less than 130 kg of gold for covering the wooden mast with gold plates.
The mast will be built strictly adhering to the principles of Kerala temple architcture, they say.
