The Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala was opened for the annual Makarvilakku festival on Monday afternoon. Head priest (Melsanthi) A.K. Sudheer Namboodiri opened the sanctum sanctorum in the presence of chief priest (Tantri) Kandararu Maheswararu Mohanararu and devaswom authorities at 5 p.m.
The Melsanthi lit the sacred fire place (Aazhi) at the Lower Tirumuttom with the flame brought from the sanctum sanctorum. The rituals will begin with the Tantri performing the Ashtadravya Maha Ganapati homom on Sunday morning. The Neyyabhishekom offering to the presiding deity will begin after the Ashtabhishekom in the morning.
Temple sources said the buffer stock of Aravana payasom had crossed 20 lakh tins (250 ml each) and that of Appam, two lakh packets on Monday.
At Nilackal camp
Sabarimala has been witnessing heavy rush with hundreds of pilgrims camping at the Nilackal base camp for the past two days, awaiting the opening of the temple. However, the police permitted their entry to the trekking path only on Monday afternoon to avoid crowding at the Sannidhanam.
The procession carrying the sacred jewellery, Thiruvabharanam, to Sabarimala for the Makaravilakku ceremony will set off from the Valiyakoickal Sastha temple at Pandalam on January 13. A group of Guruswamis led by Kulathinal Gangadharan Pillai will carry the Thiruvabharanam on their heads all the way to Sabarimala from Pandalam. The Thiruvabharanam procession will reach the Sannidhanam on the Makaravilakku day on January 15.
The deity will be adorned with the jewellery prior to the deeparadhana.
