The sacred jewellery Thiruvabharanam was brought back to the Pandalam Palace from Sabarimala in a ceremonial procession on Friday morning.
The procession carrying the Thiruvabharanam set off from the Sabarimala Sannidhanam after the closure of the Ayyappa temple on Tuesday morning.
It halted at the Laha Sathram, Kakkattu-koickal Dharma Sastha temple at Perinadu, and at Aranmula on the nights of Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday respectively.
The procession was escorted by R. Pradeepkumar Varma, representative of the Pandalam Palace, along with a company of Armed Police, Devaswom guards, and officials.
The presiding deity at the Kakkattu-koickal temple was adorned with the Thiruvabharanam on Wednesday afternoon. Hundreds of Ayyappa devotees joined the procession on its way to Pandalam from Aranmula on Friday morning.
The procession was accorded a rousing reception by the Pandalam Palace managing committee, Akhila Bharatha Ayyappa Seva Sanghom, and devotees on its arrival on the Valiyakoickal Sastha temple premises adjoining the Pandalam Palace in the morning.
The Thiruvabharanam was kept back in safe custody at the strong room attached to the Srambickal Palace later. The Thiruvabharanam will be taken out for decorating the presiding deity at the Valiyakoickal Sastha temple during the temple festival in March and on Vishu day in April.
Tradition
The Thiruvabharanam was offered to the deity at Sabarimala by King Rajashekhara Varma of the royal family of erstwhile Pandalam who is believed to be the foster father of Lord Ayyappa.
It being the custom and tradition for the past several years, the temple authorities used to take the jewellery in a ceremonial procession to Sabarimala for the Makaravilakku festival every year.
The Ayyappa idol was decorated with the sacred jewellery prior to the deeparadhana held as part of the Makaravilakku festival on January 15 evening.
