Thousands witness Makarajyothi at Sabarimala

Express News Service
SABARIMALA: Several thousand devotees on Thursday witnessed the Makaravilakku and Makarajyothi, the excessive level of the Mandala-Makara annual pilgrimage on the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala. The Makaravilakku ceremony, after adorning the sacred Thiruvabharanam on the idol of Lord Ayyappa, was carried out beneath the management of thanthri Kandararu Rajeevaru within the presence of melsanthi Jayaraj Potti at 6.40pm. 

Immediately afterwards, celestial star Makarajyothi appeared within the skies on the jap horizon of the temple. N Vasu, Travancore Devaswam Board(TDB) president, members Ok S Ravi and V M Thankappan,  devaswom commissioner B S Thirumeni, devaswom secretary Ok R Jyothilal, particular commissioner Manoj, devaswom chief engineer Krishnakumar, Sabarimala  devaswom government officer Rajendra Prasad and assistant government officer Gopakumar had been current.

Earlier, the Thiruvabharanam  procession was accorded a standard reception  at Saramkuthi at 5.30pm. The reception was held even because the tempo from the temple percussion devices performed by Ayyappaseva Sangham volunteers and artists added to the solemnity. As the procession made its approach in the direction of the golden flag mast of the Lord Ayyappa temple at 6pm, the TDB president and members obtained the Thiruvabharanam. 

Makarasamkrama poojaThe auspicious time of the solar transferring from ‘Dakshinayanam’ to ‘Utharayanam was carried out on the Lord Ayyappa temple by thantri Rajeevaru at 8.14 am on Thursday. Hundreds of devotees witnessed Makarasamkrama pooja. 

Playback singer Veeramani Raju was conferred the Harivarasanam award by Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran at a perform held right here at 9am. The customary five-day procession carrying the ‘Thidampu’ of  Malikappuram Devi was taken out from Malikappuram temple to decrease Thirumuttam in entrance of the 18 holy steps. It will conclude on January 18. 

Kalabhabishekam ritual shall be carried out on the Lord Ayyappa temple on January 18. The ritual geared toward cooling the idol of Lord Ayyappa shall be carried out throughout Uchapooja by thantri Kandararu Rajeevaru within the presence of melsanthi Jayaraj Potti.  The devotees shall be allowed darshan throughout the ongoing pilgrimage season until 9pm on January 19. 

Thiruvabharanam return procession The Thiruvabharanam return procession will go away Lord Ayyappa temple for Pandalam at 6.30 am on January 20. The hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa shall be closed at 7am on January 20 marking the conclusion of the 2020-2021 pilgrimage season.