The ceremonial procession carrying the Thiruvabharanam (sacred jewellery) will set off to Sabarimala from Valiyakoickal Sastha Temple in Pandalam on Saturday afternoon.
There was heavy rush of devotees on the palace premises adjoining the Valiyakoickal Sastha Temple on Friday to offer worship to the Thiruvabharanam kept in the palace strongroom.
The Thiruvabharanam is believed to have been offered to Lord Ayyappa Temple at Sabarimala centuries ago by Rajshekhara Varma, king of the erstwhile Pandalam kingdom who is believed to be the foster father of Ayyappa. According to P.G. Sasikumar Varma, Pandalam Palace Managing Committee president, the Thiruvabharanam will be taken out of the palace strongroom at 4 a.m. on Saturday for handing over the sacred jewellery to the Travancore Devswom Board authorities.
The Thiruvabharanam will be kept at the Valiyakoickal Sastha Temple for the devotees to have darshan till 12.45 pm.Hundreds of pilgrims from different parts of South India are camping in Pandalam to accompany the Thiruvabharanam procession to Sabarimala. The procession carrying the Thiruvabharanam will set off from the Valiyakoickal Palace by 1 p.m.
To halt at Ayroor
The procession will halt at the Puthiyakavu Devi Temple at Ayroor, and at the Laha Sathram in the evenings on Saturday and Sunday before it reaches Sabarimala Sannidhanam on January 14 afternoon. Tantri Kandararu Rajeevararu, assisted by Melsanthi V.N. Vasudevan Namboodiri, will adorn the Ayyappa idol with the Thiruvabharanam prior to the ‘deeparadhana’ at 6.30 p.m.