Kerala: Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala set for ‘mandala pooja’ today; details here
The Mandala Pooja at Sabarimala Temple is set for December 26, and it is performed by head priest Kandararu Rajeevaru. The temple will close after the rituals, reopening on December 30 for Makaravilakku festivities, with crowd control measures in place for pilgrims.
The Mandala Pooja, an important ritual marking the conclusion of the first phase of the annual pilgrimage to the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa Temple, is scheduled for December 26.
The ritual will be performed between noon and 12:30 pm by the temple's head priest, Kandararu Rajeevaru. This was announced by the President of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), P S Prasanth, during a press conference on Tuesday, as reported by PTI.
“The ceremonial “thanka anki” procession, commenced from the Aranmula Parthasarathi Temple in Pathanamthitta on Sunday, would reach Pamba by Wednesday afternoon.” he said.
The procession will first be welcomed by Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan at Pamba, and then received by the TDB President and members at the Sannidhanam (temple complex) in the evening.
Later, the "thanka anki," the sacred attire, would be draped on the idol of the presiding deity before the ‘aarathi.’
"After the mandala pooja and the "neyyabhishekam," the portals of the Lord Ayyappa temple would be closed by 11 pm on December 26, marking the culmination of the first leg of the annual pilgrimage," he said.
The Sabarimala Temple will reopen on the evening of December 30 for the Makaravilakku festivities, with the main ritual scheduled for January 14, according to Prashant.
To manage the crowd, virtual queue bookings have been limited to 50,000 for December 25 and 60,000 for December 26, ensuring a smoother flow of pilgrims during the events.
“The cap is also in line with a high court directive, according to which, the spot bookings must be limited to to 5,000 on both days,” the TDB president said.
The number of virtual queue bookings on January 13 and 14 as part of the Makaravilakku festivities has been fixed at 50,000 and 40,000, he said.
Till December 23, a total of 30,87,049 pilgrims have visited the Lord Ayyappa Temple during the current season, the TDB president said, adding, close to 4.46 lakh more devotees came this time as compared to the last year.
Prashant announced that the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has decided to revive the “Pamba Sangamam,” a spiritual and cultural event that was discontinued after the 2018 floods. The event will take place starting January 12 next year.
Additionally, the board has decided to release golden lockets of Lord Ayyappa for the upcoming Makaravilakku festival.
(With inputs from PTI)
- The Mandala Pooja is a crucial ritual marking the end of the first pilgrimage phase at Sabarimala.
- Crowd management strategies, including virtual queue bookings, have been implemented to ensure a smooth flow of pilgrims.
- The revival of the 'Pamba Sangamam' event signifies a return to cultural traditions after disruptions.