The Sabarimala Sannidhanam continued to witness rush as hundreds of devotees from different parts of South India undertook pilgrimage to the Lord Ayyappa shrine on the fourth day in the Malayalam month of Kumbhom on Friday.
Devaswom Executive Officer, M. Satishkumar, told The Hindu that an auspicious Laksharchana would be performed at the Ayyappa Temple on Saturday morning. The Tantri, Kandararu Maheswararu, will lead the ritual.
Sahasrakalasabhishekom, Kalabhabhishekom, Udayasthamanapuja, Pushpabhishekom and Padipuja, were the major ritualistic offering made to the presiding deity on Friday.
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Mr Satishkumar said a Sahasrakalasabhishekom and Kalabhabhishekom will be held on Saturday too.
The Tantri, assisted by Melsanthi, N. Balamurali, prepared the Brahmakalasom in a golden urn and 1000 other kalasoms (holy water) in small copper urns at the Northern Mandapam of the temple on Friday evening for the Sahasrakalasabhishekom to be performed prior to the Utchapuja on Saturday.
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The Kalabhapuja will also be held at the Namaskara Mandapam on Saturday.
The golden urns carrying the Brahmakalasom and the Kalabha Kalasom will be taken out in a customary ceremonial procession to the sanctum sanctorum with the accompaniments of the sacred Marappani and other temple percussion on Saturday forenoon.
The Tantri, assisted by Melsanthi, will perform the Sahasrakalasbhishekom and Kalabhabhishekom prior to the Utchapuja and the kalabhom (sandal paste) offered to the deity will be distributed as prasadom among the devotees, later.
The Ayyappa Temple will be closed after the Athazhapuja on Saturday evening, marking the culmination of the five-day monthly rituals in the Malayalam month of Kumbhom. As it being the custom, the Melsanthi will close the sanctum sanctorum, singing the sacred lullaby, Harivarasanam, viswamohanam…’’