The Lord Ayyappa Temple at Sabarimala was closed after the Vishu festival on Monday evening. The hillock witnessed heavy rush on Monday too.
A ‘Laksharchana' was performed at the Ayyappa shrine in the forenoon. ‘Sahasrakalasabhishekom' and ‘Kalabhabhishekom,' two major rituals, were held at the temple prior to the Utchapuja.
The chief priest (Tantri), Kandararu Rajeevaru, assisted by the head priest (Melsanthi), Ezhikode Sasi Namboodiri, performed the ‘Sahasrakalasapuja' and ‘Brahmakalasapuja' at the northern ‘mandapam' of the Sannidhanam in the forenoon.
The ‘Brahmakalasoms' were taken out in a procession, with the accompaniment of ‘Marappani' and other traditional temple percussion, to the sanctum sanctorum for performing the ‘abhishekom' prior to the Utchapuja. The sandal paste (kalabhom) offered to the presiding deity was distributed among the devotees as ‘prasadom'.
‘Padipuja,' ‘Udayasthamanapuja,' ‘Pushpabhishekom' and ‘Ashtabhishekom' were the other important rituals performed at the temple on Monday. The temple was closed with the Melsanthi singing ‘Harivarasanam, Viswamohanom...', after the ‘Athazhapuja,' marking the culmination of the Vishu festival.
Reopening
The temple will reopen on May 14 afternoon for the five-day rituals for the Malayalam month of Meenom that begins the next day. The rituals will begin with the Ganapati homom on April 15 morning and the temple will be closed after the monthly rituals on April 19 evening.
