Sabarimala all set for ‘makara jyoti’

Sabarimala, Jan 13 (PTI) The hill temple here is thronged by devotees as the two-month-long pilgrimage to the Lord Ayyappa shrine is all set for the ‘makara jyoti’ festival tomorrow.

Arrangements for over one lakh devotees to witness ‘makara jyoti’ have been made in and around the temple premises, shrine officials said here today.

The jyoti, an auspicious light flickering over the eastern horizon above the ‘Ponnambalamedu’ across the temple, would be witnessed by thousands of devotees after the “deeparadhana” (pooja) in the shrine in the evening.

The procession, carrying holy jewels to be placed on the idol of the presiding deity, which set out from the Pandalam palace earlier this week, would reach the shrine before the Deeparadhana. Before that, the ‘Makarasamkrama’ pooja would be conducted at noon.

Security had been tightened in and around the temple, base camp Pampa and other transit points with over 1,500 police personnel being deployed.