Sabarimala is all set for the ceremonial installation of the new mast at the Ayyappa temple to be held on Sunday.
The 12-metre teakwood stem of the temple mast has been covered with gold-covered cylindrical copper drums (‘chembu-para’).
A large number of devotees from different parts of South India are camping at Sabarimala to witness the event.
The square Panchavargathara (base) of the mast was filled with river sand and many devotees have offered coins and gold too inside it. The Panchavargathara has been covered with a gold-covered copper sheet and idols of Ashtadikpalakar were fixed on it.
The master craftsmen completed the work on the temple mast on Saturday and it was handed over to the temple Tantri, Kandararu Rajeevararu, for performing purification rituals.
The Tantri, assisted by Melsanthi T.M. Unnikrishnan Namboodiri, performed the preparatory rituals on Saturday. The ritualistic installation of the temple mast will take place between 11.50 a.m. and 1.40 p.m. on Sunday.
According to Prayar Gopalakrishnan, Travancore Devaswom Board president, 9.16 kg of gold, 300 kg of copper, and 17 kg of silver have been used for the metal covering of the temple mast.
10-day festival
The 10-day temple festival at Sabarimala will begin with the Kodiyettu ceremony on June 28. The festival will come to a close with an Aratt ceremony in the Pampa river, followed by the ceremonial Arattu Ezhunnellathu on July 7.
The Ayyappa temple will be closed after the Athazhapuja at 10.30 p.m. on July 7.