The ceremonial procession carrying Thanka Anki, sacred golden attire weighing 420 soverigns, was accorded a rousing reception on its arrival at Sabarimala on Friday afternoon.
The motorised chariot carrying the golden attire in a ceremonial procession reached Pampa around 12.30 pm. The Akhila Bharatha Ayyapa Seva Sanghom volunteers, Travancore Devaswom Board officials and scores Ayyappa devotees received the procession at Pampa.
The Melsanthi at the Pampa Ganapati Temple performed Arati to the Ayyappa idol decorated with the Thanka Anki which was kept at the Ganapati Temple premises, later, for the devotees to have holy darshan.
The ABASS volunteers carried the golden attire, enclosed in a wooden box, to Sabarimala Sannidhanam in a ceremonial procession, later in the afternoon.
The TDB officials received the Thanka Anki when the procession reached Saramkuthi and from there it was escorted to the Sannidhanam with the accompaniments of the traditional temple orchestra.
Devaswom Minister Kadannappally Ramachandran, Devaswom Chief Commissioner K.Jayakumar, Special Commissioner appointed by the Kerala High Court M. Rajendran Nair, Devaswom Commissioner P.V. Nalinakshan Nair and chief engineer K. Ravikumar received the golden attire as it was brought to the temple premises around 6.20 pm.
The Tantri, Kandararu Maheswararu and Melsanthi, G. Vishnu Namboodiri, took the Thaka Anki to the sanctum sanctorum and the Ayyappa idol was decorated with it prior to the deeparadhana held at 6.30 pm.
Mandala-puja today.
The Mandala-puja to the presiding deity adorned with the Thanka Anki will be held amidst the Utchapuja in the auspicious muhurthom between 11.55 a.m. and 12.25 p.m. on Saturday.
The Tantri, assisted by Melsanthi, will perform the Mandalapuja and Kalabhabhishehom at the Ayyappa shrine on Saturday.
The temple will be closed after the Athazhapuja, later in the evening, marking the culmination of the 41-day annual Mandalam festival.
