Sabarimala temple to open on Friday for monthly rituals

The Lord Ayyappa Temple at Sabarimala will open on Friday afternoon for the five-day monthly rituals in the Malayalam month of Chingom that begins on Saturday.

Head priest (Melsanthi) V.N. Vasudevan Namboodiri will open the sanctum sanctorum at 5 p.m. and there would not be any ritual on Friday. Devotees may offer prayers at the temple till it closes at 10 p.m.

Kandararu Maheswararu Mohanararu of the Thazhamon Madhom will assume charge as the new tantri for the next one-year period from August 17 as part of an internal arrangement within the Thazhamon tantri family of Chengannur.

The rituals will begin with the tantri performing the Ashtadravya Maha Ganapathi homom on Saturday morning. A Laksharchana will be performed on August 17 and another Laksharchana at the Maha Ganapathi Temple at Pampa on August 18, according to Devaswom executive officer D. Sudheeshkumar.

Special rituals

Ashtabhishekom, Kalabhabhishekom, Udayasthamanapuja, Pushpabhishekom, and Padipuja will be the special rituals to be performed at the on all the five days.

Sahasrakalasabhishekom will be performed prior to the Utchapuja on all the four days from Sunday, Mr. Sudheeshkumar said.

Draw of lots

The draw of lots to select the next Melsanthi for the Ayyappa temple and the Malikapuram Devi temple will be held at the respective temple sopanam on Saturday morning.

The newly selected Melsanthis will assume charge only on the eve of the 41-day Mandalam pilgrim season on November 16. The temple will close after the rituals on August 21 evening.