The holy hillock of Sabarimala continued to witness a rush of devotees as a large number of pilgrims from different parts of the State as well as outside Kerala visited the temple on Friday.
Travancore Devaswom Board employees offered a feast, Onasadya, to devotees and priests at the Sannidhanam as part of the Onam celebrations on Friday.
Tantri Kandararu Rajeevararu inaugurated the feast by lighting a ceremonial lamp and serving the meals on a plantain leaf placed before the lamp after Utchapuja.
Devaswom Executive Officer R. Ravishankar and Administrative Officer Yatheendranath were present.
Special rituals
Sahasrakalasabhishekom and Kalabhabhishekom rituals were performed at the temple prior to Utchapuja.
Junior Tantri, assisted by Melsanthi (head priest) S.E. Sankaran Namboodiri, performed Brahmakalasapuja, Sahasrakalasapuja, and Kalabhapuja in the forenoon.
Procession
Two golden urns carrying Brahmakalasom and the Kalabhom (sandal paste) were taken out to the sanctum sanctorum in a ceremonial procession, to the accompaniments of the sacred Marappani and other traditional temple percussion, by noon.
The Tantri, assisted by the Melsanthi and other priests, poured holy water (Kalasom) and sandal paste over the Ayyappa idol amidst loud chants of Ayyappa Sarana mantra.
The sandal paste offered to the deity was distributed among the devotees as prasadom.
Ashtabhishekom, Udayasthamanapuja, Pushpabhishekom, and Padipuja were the other important rituals performed at the Ayyappa temple on Friday.
The temple will be closed after the five-day monthly rituals in the Malayalam month of Kanni on September 21 evening.
