Thousands witness Mandala pooja in Sabarimala
The rituals were performed under the aegis of temple tantri (head priest), Kandararu Mahesh Mohanaru who adorned the idol with the sacred attire.
The crowd at Sabarimala
SABARIMALA: Thousands of pilgrims on Wednesday offered prayers at the famed Lord Ayyappa temple here as the auspicious Mandala pooja was performed at the hill shrine in the afternoon, marking the culmination of the 41-day-long first leg of the annual pilgrimage season.
The pooja was performed after adorning the idol of the Lord Ayyappa, the principal deity with thanka anki, the sacred golden attire brought to the Sannidhanam (temple complex) in a ceremonial procession on Tuesday evening.
The rituals were performed under the aegis of temple tantri (head priest), Kandararu Mahesh Mohanaru who adorned the idol with the sacred attire.
Special rituals including kalabhanhishekam and kalashabhishekam were performed during the occasion, temple authorities said.
Besides thousands of pilgrims from and outside Kerala, who queued up for hours in and around the Sannidhanam, prominent officials of Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) were also present before sanctum sanctorum when the ceremonies were held.
The temple was closed soon after the Mandala pooja and will be reopened in the evening for devotees to offer prayers before closing in the night. The shrine will be closed for three days and will be reopened on December 30 for Makaravilakku rituals.
The Makaravilakku ritual will be held at the hill shrine on January 15 marking the culmination of the two-month-long annual pilgrimage.
The officials of the TDB, which manages the shrine, had earlier said that as many as 31,43,163 devotees offered prayers at Sabarimala till December 25 during the season.
Mandala season revenue up Rs 18.72 cr to Rs 241 cr
The Lord Ayyappa Temple here has earned a total revenue of Rs 241.71 crore during the 41-day-long first leg of the annual pilgrimage season. There was an increase of Rs 18.72 crore in the total revenue this year compared to the Rs 222.98 crore last year during the same period, TDB president PS Prashanth said here. He said the figures would go up when the coins received as ‘kanikka’ (offering) and parking fees are counted.