The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has shortlisted 19 priests for the posts of head priest (Melsanthi) at the Lord Ayyappa Temple and at the adjoining Malikappuram Devi Temple at Sabarimala for the next one year period beginning November 17.
The one-year tenure of the present Melsanthi E.N. Krishnadas Namboodiri and that of Malikappuram Melsanthi S. Kesavan Namboodiri ends on November 16.
The new Melsanthis will be selected through a draw-of-lots on October 18.
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A total of 14 aspirants, from among 83 applicants, have been shortlisted for the post of Sabarimala Melsanthi on the basis of a personal interview held at the board headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram on September 24 and 30.
Those shortlisted for the Melsanthi post at the Ayyappa temple are: D. Sureshkumar of Mangalasserry Illom in Mavelikara, T. Damodaran Namboodiri of Thamattoor Mana in Thrissur, Gosala Vishnu Vasudevan Namboodiri from Thiruvananthapuram, K. Jayaraman Namboodiri from Taliparamba, Manoj P.E. from Kottackal, S.E. Sankaran Namboodiri from Ayarkunnam, S. Eeswaran Namboodiri from Mavelikara, Ezhikode Krishnan Namboodiri from Ernakulam, D. Narayanan Namboodiri from Vaikom, T.M. Unnikrishnan from Cheruplassery, M.P. Krishnan Namboodiri from Thiruvananthapuram, T.K. Sreedharan Namboodiri from Thiruvalla, T.M. Muraleedharan from Kavalappara, and G. Dileepan Namboodiri from Venmony, near Chenganur.
The five priests who have been shortlisted from among 58 applicants for the post of the Malikappuram Melsanthi are: M.N. Narayanan Namboodiri from Changanacherry, P.E. Manoj from Kozhikode, S.E. Sankaran Namboodiri from Ayarkunnam, C.T. Narayanan Namboodiri from Thiruvananthapuram, and E.S. Unnikrishnan from Thrissur.
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The installation of the Melsanthis will be held at the respective temple sopanam on November 16 evening.
The one-year tenure of the present melsanthis will end on November 16