A wide view of the Sabarimala temple. | Photo Credit: LEJU KAMAL
Ayyappa temple will be opened at 5 p.m. on Friday. Devotees will be allowed to trek up the hillock from 1 p.m. on Friday and darshan will be allowed from 3 a.m. on Saturday
The Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala is set to open its doors to devotees, marking the start of the annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season.
The outgoing Melsanthi (head priest) P.N. Mahesh Namboothiri will open the temple’s sanctum sanctorum at 5 p.m. on Friday, followed by the opening of the Upadevata temple and the ceremonial transfer of the sacred fire to the Aazhi. The newly appointed Melsanthis S. Arun Kumar Namboothiri and Vasudevan Namboothiri will officially assume their roles at the Ayyappa temple and the Malikappuram Devi temple respectively.
Devotees will be allowed to trek up the hillock from 1 p.m. on Friday, with the temple officially opening for pilgrimage at 3 a.m. on Saturday.
State Police Chief Shaik Darvesh Saheb on Thursday visited the temple to review the security arrangements. The Revenue department has opened emergency operations centres at the Sannidhanam, Nilackal, and Pampa. These centres will collectively deploy 299 personnel, including a Duty Magistrate and Executive Magistrate at Sannidhanam, with 144 staff at Pampa and 160 at Nilackal.
At base stations
With the previous season witnessing over 50 lakh devotee undertaking the pilgrimage, authorities are bracing for a busy season ahead. Preparations are also complete at major base stations, including Erumely, Chengannur, Kumily, Ettumanur, and Punalur.
The Pampa bus station is fully operational, with increased bus services planned as the Makaravilakku festival approaches.
The virtual queue system will allow 70,000 pilgrims to secure entry slots each day, while an additional 10,000 spots will be available through on-the-spot bookings at counters at Pampa, Erumely, and Vadiperiyar. The temple will be kept open for 18 hours daily, with potential extensions to the darshan time at a later stage.
Booked for 15 days
According to officials of the Travancore Devaswom Board, virtual queue slots for the first 15 days of the season have already been fully booked.
Published - November 14, 2024 08:44 pm IST
