The Lord Ayyappa Temple at Sabarimala will be opened for the Onam festival on Saturday afternoon.
The head priest (melsanthi), T.M.Unnikrishnan Namboodiri, will open the sanctum sanctorum at 5 pm. However, the temple rituals will begin only with the chief priest (tantri), Kandararu Maheswararu Mohanararu, performing the Ashtadravya Maha Ganapati homom on Sunday morning.
Kalabhabhishekom, Udayasthamanapuja, Pushpabhishekom, and Padipuja will be the major rituals to be performed at the Ayyappa shrine on Sunday.
Feasts
The Melsanthi will host the Uthradasadya, feast served on the Uthradom day during the Onam festival, to the devaswom staff as well as devotees at the Sannidhanam after the Utchapuja on September 3.
The `Onasadya’, sumptuous feast on the Thiruvonam day, will be served at Sabarimala Sannidhanam after the Utchapuja on September 4. The devaswom staff will offer a feast to the devotees at the Sannidhanam on September 5.
The Ayyappa Temple will be closed with the Melsanthi singing the sacred lullaby, `Harivarasanam, viswamohanam…’ after the Athazhapuja, marking the culmination of the Onam festival, on September 6.
