Thousands of people offered worship to Makarajyoti, a bright star sighted on the eastern horizon of the Sabarimala Sannidhanam, and Makaravilakku, a deeparadhana performed at Ponnambalamedu, a remote hill facing the Ayyappa temple, on Makarasankranti on Sunday.
The Makarasankrama puja was performed at the temple at 1.47 p.m. on Sunday. Tantri Kandararu Maheswararu Mohanararu, assisted by Melsanthi Unnikrishnan Namboodiri, performed the ritual. Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran and Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president A. Padmakumar attended the ceremony.
The Makarajyoti was sighted in the afternoon.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Thiruvabharanam procession carrying the sacred jewellery to adorn the deity reached the Sannidhanam at 6.30 p.m. The Tantri and Melsanthi adorned the idol with the jewellery before the deeparadhana at 6.43 pm.
The Melsanthi of the Pampa Ganapati temple, accompanied by TDB officials, performed the rituals in connection with Makarasankramom at Ponnambalamedu. The Makaravilakku deeparadhana was performed at Ponnambalamedu soon after. The Makaravilakkku flickered thrice atop the hill at 6.47 p.m.
Mr. Surendran presented the Harivarasanam award to singer K.S. Chitra at the Sree Dharma Sastha auditorium at the Sannidhanam.
ADVERTISEMENT