The Lord Ayyappa Temple at Sabarimala opened for the Onam festival on Monday afternoon.
The head priest (Melsanthi), V.N.Vasudevan Namboodiri, accompanied by the chief priest (Tantri), Kandararu Maheswararu Mohanararu, and Devaswom Executive Officer Sudheehkumar opened the sanctum sanctorum at 5 p.m.
A.Padmakumar, TDB president; K.P.Sankaradas, and N.Vijayakumar, board members, were also present.
The temple rituals will begin only with the Ashtadravya Maha Ganapati homom on Tuesday morning.
The temple will be closed after the Athazhapuja on September 13 evening, marking the culmination of the Onam festival.
A Kalabhabhishekom, Udayasthamanapuja, Pushpabhishekom and Padipuja will be performed at the Ayyappa shrine on all days from Tuesday to Friday.
The Melsanthi will host the Uthradasadya, a feast served on the Uthradom day during the Onam festival, to the Devaswom staff as well as devotees at the Sannidhanam after the Utchapuja on Tuesday.
The `Onasadya’, sumptuous feast on the Thiruvonam day, at Sabarimala Sannidhanam will be hosted by Dr Manikantadas, a devotee from Seethathode, at the Valiyanadappanthal immediately after the Utchapuja on the auspicious Thiruvonam day on Wednesday.
The Devaswom staff will offer a feast to the devotees at the Sannidhanam on Thursday.
The Ayyappa Temple will be closed with the Melsanthi singing the sacred lullaby, `Harivarasanam, viswamohanam …’ after the Athazhapuja, on Friday evening, marking the culmination of the Onam festival.
Large numbers
Sabarimala temple witnessed heavy rush on Monday as a large number of Ayyappa devotees utilised their Onam holidays for their Sabarimala pilgrimage.
Devotees, carrying the sacred bundle, `Irumudikkettu’, trekked the holy hills of Neelimala and Appachimedu to reach the holy hillock, braving the heavy downpour in the forests, on Monday.