Sabarimala shrine to open for pilgrimage season today

The Lord Ayyappa Temple, nestled high in the Sabarimala Hill in the tropical forest of Kerala, will be opened on Tuesday for yet another the two-month long pilgrimage season which will commence on Nov16 and last till Jan 19, 2006.

An estimated 40 million devotees from various states of India and foreign countries will converge here at the summit of the hill to have a glimpse of the Lord Ayyappa.

The Chief Priest (Melsanthi) will open the door of the Sanctum Sanctorum in the presence of the Tanthri Kandaruru Mohanaru on Tuesday evening at 5.30. The newly elected priests will officially be ordained as chief priests of Lord Ayyappa temple and the Malikapuram temple later in the night through a ritualistic function. The Mandala period will conclude on Dec 27. This year the sanctum sanctorum will be opened at 4 o’clock in the evening and the morning till the end of the Mandala period while during the days of Makara Sankranti it will be opened at 3 a.m.

The new Melsanthi of Lord Ayyappa temple is Mr M Sukumaran Namboothiri of Thrissur Viyyur Moothedathu Mana while that of Malikapuram is Madathumpadi Varikkattu Madam Mr Jayaraj of Mala.

The Hindu Aikya Vedi has, as usual as a prelude to the beginning of the pilgrimage season, conducted an “Ayyappa family” get-together of all those families which were one way or the other connected with the Lord Ayyappa temple at Kottayam to discuss various issues related to the pilgrimage season.

Mr G Raman Nair, President, TDB inaugurated the function in the presence of the Chief Priests and Mr Kummanam Rajasekharan, Organizing Secretary, Hindu Aikya Vedi.