With two days left for the culmination of the Makaravilakku pilgrim season at Sabarimala, the Ayyappa temple witnessed moderate to heavy rush on Thursday.
Though the pilgrim inflow was moderate in the forenoon, the hillock witnessed heavy pilgrim influx from the afternoon. The police efficiently managed the crowd and regulated the pilgrim movement through the barricades inside the Valiya Nadapandal.
There were rumours that a few young women owing allegiance to Left wing outfits were planning to visit Sabarimala with police escort on Thursday night. The police had cleared all the pilgrims camping on the Annadana Mandapam premises in the afternoon.
Padipuja begins
Meanwhile, the Padipuja at the Ayyappa temple began, after a gap of two months, on Wednesday evening.
Tantri Kandararu Rajeevararu performed the Padipuja after the Pushpabhishekom in the evening. The Kalabhabhishekom, marking the culmination of the Neyyabhishekom offering, will be held prior to the Utchapuja on Friday.
The Guruti to propitiate the bhoothagana (cohorts) of Ayyappa will be held at Malikappuram, after the closure of the temple on Saturday evening.
Exclusive darshan
The royal representative and the Devaswom executive officer will supervise the ritual. The temple will be opened on Sunday morning to facilitate darshan exclusively for the royal representative.
The temple will be closed immediately after the event, marking the culmination of the Makaravilakku pilgrim season.
