The Lord Ayyappa Temple at Sabarimala was opened at 5 p.m. on Sunday for the 10-day annual festival to be held from March 14 to 23.
Melsanthi (head priest) S.E. Sankaran Namboodiri opened the sanctum sanctorum in the presence of the tantri (chief priest) Kandararu Maheswararu Mohanararu and Travancore Devaswom Board officials.
Purification rituals
The tantri assisted by the melsanthi performed the purification rituals, including Praasada-shudhi, Asthrakalasapooja, Vasthu-homom, Vaasthu-bali and Vaasthu-punyahom, preparatory to the ceremonial Kodiyettu in the evening.
The ceremonial flag for the kodiyettu was made by Ganapathi Namboodiri of Chengalom Vadakkathu Illom in Kottayam district. Mr. Namboodiri, accompanied by wife Valsala, placed the flag ( kodikkoora ) at the temple sopanam in the afternoon.
The temple rituals will begin with the tantri performing Ashtadravya Ganapathi homom on Monday morning, the first day of the Malayalam month of Meenom.
The tantri will hoist the ceremonial flag at the kodiyettu ceremony to be held during the auspicious muhurthom between 10.20 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Monday.
The ritualistic Pallivetta will be held at Saramkuthi on the traditional trekking route on March 22 evening and the aratt ceremony will be held at the specially prepared Aratt kadavu in River Pampa in the foothills of Sabarimala on March 23 forenoon.
The aratt procession will return to Sabarimala Sannidhanam by 10 p.m. and the tantri will bring down the ceremonial flag, marking the end of the annual festival.
