The Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala was opened on Saturday afternoon for the five-day monthly rituals in the Malayalam month of Kumbhom that begins on Sunday.
Melsanthi (head priest) E.S. Sankaran Namboodiri opened the sanctum sanctorum in the presence of Tantri (chief priest) Kandararu Maheswararu Mohanararu and the Travancore Devaswom Board officials at 5 p.m.
The temple rituals will begin with the Tantri performing the Ashtadravya Ganapati homom on Sunday morning followed by the Ashtabhishekom offering to the presiding deity.
Laksharchana
Laksharchana will be performed at the temple on February 16, 17, and 18 and the Sahasrakalasabhishekom will be performed on February 15, 16, 17, and 18, according to devaswom sources.
Kalbahabhishekom will be performed prior to the Utchapuja on all five days.
The Tantri, assisted by the Melsanthi, will perform the Brahmakalasapuja and Kalabhapuja at the Namaskara Mandapam in the forenoon.
Padipuja, Udayasthamanapuja, and Pushpabhishekom will be the other important rituals to be performed at the Ayyappa temple on all the five days. The temple will be closed after the Athazhapuja on February 19 evening, marking the culmination of the rituals. The hillock witnessed heavy rush as a large number of devotees arrived at the Ayyappa shrine on Saturday.
