Sabarimala temple opens for 41-day Mandala season

Kottayam: Sabarimala Sree Dharma Sastha Temple was opened for the Mandala pilgrimage season on Friday. Pilgrims, thousands in number, chanted sharana mantras as the sanctum sanctorum was opened at 4pm. It was melshanthi (chief priest) P N Mahesh Namboothiri who opened the sanctum sanctorum in the presence of tantris (head priest) Kantararu Rajeevaru and Kantararu Brahmadattan.
Pujas were not held on Friday. It will be the new melshanthi S Arunkumar who will open the sanctum sanctorum on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Malikappuram melshanthi P G Murali opened the sanctum sanctorum at Malikappuram shrine. It will be the new melshanthi T Vasudevan Namboothiri who will open the sanctum sanctorum on Saturday.
The ‘aazhi' down the Pathinettam Padi was lit before opening the steps for the pilgrims. Pilgrims were allowed to climb the hill to the temple from Pamba from noon. Apart from the pilgrims from Kerala, there were pilgrims from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana. The first group reached the nadappanthal at 2.25pm. Most of them will stay back at Sannidhanam and will return after the neyyabhishekam on Saturday early morning.
Earlier in the day, devaswom minister V N Vasavan inaugurated the renovated Sabari Guest House at Sannidhanam and Vigneswara Guest House at Pamba. Vasavan said the parking capacity at Nilackal was increased to 10,000 vehicles from 8,000. A 17,000 ft vast pandal has been constructed at Nilackal, which can provide resting space for 2,700 pilgrims. Hospitals with bed facilities have started functioning in Nilackal, Pamba, and Sannidhanam. Arrangements have been made to provide drinking water and snacks for pilgrims.
The minister also said that 1,000 steel chairs will be provided for the pilgrims to take rest while climbing the hill from Marakkoottam. There will be arrangements for taking rest and distributing drinking water at 132 points along the forest path. Sabari Guest House has been renovated with 54 rooms. He also said that there is a buffer stock of 40 lakh cans of aravana this time.