The anniversary of idol installation at the Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala was celebrated with religious fervour on Wednesday.
A large number of Ayyappa devotees from different parts of the State as well as the neighbouring States of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh thronged Sabarimala, braving the heavy downpour in the forests, to offer prayers.
The Melsanthi (head priest), V.N. Vasudevan Namboodiri, opened the sanctum sanctorum at 5 a.m. and the rituals began with the Tantri (chief priest), Kandararu Rajeevararu, performing the Ashtadravya Maha Ganapati homom in the morning. The Brahamkalasom for the Kalabhabhishekom was prepared at the Namaskara Mandapam of the temple in the forenoon. The Tantri, assisted by the Melsanthi, performed the Kalabhapuja.
The Brahmakalasom was taken out in a customary procession, with the accompaniments of the sacred ‘Marappani’ and other traditional temple percussion, to the sanctum sanctorum for the ritualistic ‘abhishekom’ prior to the Utchapuja. The Tantri poured the specially prepared sandal paste (‘kalabhom’) over the Ayyappa idol, marking the culmination of the auspicious Kalabhabhishekom. The ‘kalabhom’ offered to the presiding deity was distributed as ‘prasadom’ among the devotees.
Padipuja, Ashtabhishekom, Udayasthamanapuja and Pushpabhishekom were the other important rituals performed at the Ayyappa temple on Wednesday. The temple was closed after the Athazhapuja, later, in the evening. The temple will be reopened on June 15 afternoon for the five-day monthly rituals in the Malayalam month of Midhunom that begins on June 16.