The Temple of Lord Ayyappa in Sabarimala was opened on Saturday for the 21-day long Makaravilakku festival season, the final phase of the 2017-2018 pilgrimage season. Melsanthi Unnikrishnan Nampoothiri will opened the Sreekovil of the temple at 5 pm in the presence of Thantri Mahesh Mohanaru . As an ongoing practice of the temple, no ritual will be performed in the evening.
The customary Erumely Pettathullal will be held at Erumely Sree Dharma Sastha temple on January 11. As part of the Pettathullal offering, the procession by the 500-0dd Ambalappuzha team led by 87-year-old Periyor Chandrasekharan Nair will be taken out from Erumely Sree Petta Sastha temple at noon after witnessing the ‘Krishnaparunthu’ (falcon) in the sky. Led by a caparisoned elephant and playing traditional temple percussion instruments, the Ambalappuzha team will reach the Sree Dharma Sastha temple after visiting the Vavar mosque.
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The team will be given a traditional reception at the temple gate by the team led by Travanacore Devaswom Board president A Padamkumar and the ritual will conclude with a circumambulation of the nalambalam.Pettathullal by Alangattu teamThe pettathullal by the Alangattu team led by Vijayakumar will set off from the Erumely Sree Petta Sastha temple at 2 pm after witnessing the ‘star’ in the sky above the temple.
The pettathullal will conclude at 4 pm after circumambulating the nalambalam of Sree Sastha temple. The customary ‘Thiruvabharanam’ procession, carrying the golden jewellery to be adorned on Lord Ayyappa on Makaravilakku day on January 14, will be taken out from Pandalam Valiyakoickal Sree Dharma Sastha temple at 1 pm on January 12. After three-day journey, including the first overnight halt at Ayroor Puthiyakavu Devi temple on January 12 and at Laha Forest IB Station on January 13 night, the procession will reach Sabarimala at 6 pm on January 14.
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Temple to be closed on Jan 20
The hill shrine will close on January 20, marking the conclusion of the annual pilgrimage season, after the customary darsan by the representative of Pandalam Valiyaraja (the head of the royal family).
