The Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala continued to witness heavy rush on Saturday as thousands of devotees undertook pilgrimage on the fourth day of the Malayalam month of Kumbhom.
Devaswom Executive Officer D. Sudheeshkumar told The Hindu that the work on the new door for the sanctum sanctorum of the temple was getting ready.
New door
He said the carpentry work of the new door had already been completed. Carpenters, assisted by priests, checked the measurement of the copper-plated wooden door by placing it at the entrance of the sanctum sanctorum in the presence of TDB president A. Padmakumar.
Sahasrakalasabhishekom, Kalabhabhishekom, Udayasthamanapuja, Pushpabhishekom and Padipuja were the special rituals performed on Saturday.
The Tantri, assisted by the Melsanthi and other priests, prepared the Brahmakalasom in a golden urn and 1,000 other kalasoms (holy water) in small copper urns at the Northern Mandapam of the temple.
The golden urns carrying the Brahmakalasom and the Kalabhakalasom were taken out in a procession to the sanctum sanctorum, with the accompaniment of the Marappani and other temple percussion prior to the Utchapuja for performing the abhishekom.
The temple will be closed after the Athazhapuja on Sunday evening, marking the culmination of the five-day monthly rituals.
