Yet another monthly puja sans pilgrims is coming to a close at Sabarimala, with the restrictions in place to contain COVID-19 .
The sacred grove (‘poonkavanom’) of Ayyappa, situated in the Periyar Tiger Reserve that otherwise used to witness not less than 15,000 devotees coming from different parts of the country every day even during five-day monthly pujas, remained almost desolate on the fourth day of the monthly rituals in the Malayalam month of Karkidakom on Sunday.
But for the chiming of the bells and the traditional percussion, the temple precincts presented a picture of tranquillity on Sunday. No resonance of ‘Swamiyei Saranam Ayyappa’ chants, no lighting of camphor lamps, no ‘Sayana-pradakshinoms’ and no long line of pilgrims waiting in queue for offering ‘Neyyabhishekom’ to the deity.
The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) that administers the temple has prohibited entry of devotees to all the 1,250 temples attached to it as a key pandemic-prevention measure. The board is very particular in the case of Sabarimala, where the head priests (Melsanthi) at the Ayyappa temple and the adjoining Malikappuram Devi temple are ‘Purappedasanthi’ which means they are not permitted to move out of Sabarimala during their one-year tenure that ends on November 15.
“We are not permitting any person to enter Sabarimala other than the staff on duty now as it involves high health risk to the priests and the employees stationed at the hillock,” says Rajendra Prasad, Devaswom executive officer.
Rituals
Only the routine rituals are being performed at Sabarimala during the monthly puja period. On all five days, the daily rituals begin with the Tantri (chief priest), Kandararu Maheswararu Mohanararu, performing the Ashtadravya Maha Ganapathi homom at 5.15 a.m. Abhishekom, Ushapuja, Kalabhabhishekom, Utchapuha, Deeparadhana, and Athazhapuja are the daily rituals.
The temple will be closed after the Athazhapuja on Monday.
The temple will open again at 5 p.m. on August 8 for the annual Niraputhari celebrations to be held on August 9. The Tantri told The Hindu that the Niraputharipuja would be performed at the auspicious muhurthom between 5.50 a.m. and 6.20 a.m. on August 9. The Ayyappa temple will be closed after the Athazhapuja in the evening.