The Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala continued to witness heavy rush on the second day of the monthly rituals in the Malayalam month of Thulam on Monday.
Hundreds of Ayyappa devotees from different parts of south India trekked the holy hills, braving the heavy downpour in the forests. Devotees had to wait in thickly packed barricades for long to reach the sopanam of the temple and worship the deity in the forenoon.
Rigveda Laksharchana
A Rigveda Laksharchana was performed in the forenoon. Vedic scholar Cherumukku Valabhan Akkithirippad led the ritual.
Tantri Kandararu Mahesh Mohanararu, assisted by Melsanthi E.N. Krishnadas Namboodiri, performed the Kalabha puja and Sahasrakalasa puja for the auspicious Sahasrakalasabhishekom and Kalabhabhishekom rituals. Both the rituals will be performed on all days till Thursday.
Ashtabhishekom, Kalabhabhishekom, Udayasthamana puja, Pushpabhishekom, and Padi puja were the other important rituals performed at the temple on Monday.
The Ayyappa temple will be closed after Athazha puja on Thursday evening.