The temple opened on Thursday evening and installation rites of one year resident head priests at Ayyappa and Malikappuram temples were performed by tantri (chief priest) Kandraru Rajeevarau. The new head priests will perform poojas at the temples for next one year from Friday when Malayalam month of Vrischikom begins. They start by opening the sanctum sanctorum at the early morning.
Having performed Thursday night rites, the serving head priests bade farewell to the presiding deities whom they served for the past one year and handed over the keys of sanctum sanctorum to the executive officer of the temple. Then they left the holy hill to their home.
The pilgrimage is held in two sessions. The first one is 41-day Mandalam period which begins on Friday and will end on December 26. The temple will open for the second Makaravilakku season on December 30 and the Makaravilakku falls on January 14. The temple will be closed on January 20.
Every year, nearly 30-40 million pilgrims from across the country visit the hill shrine located in the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Western Ghats. Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which manages the temple with the help of various government departments, is conducting the pilgrimage which fetches nearly Rs,150 crore for TDB coffer.
Southern Railway will run special trains for Ayyappa pilgrims from various South Indian cities, including Chennai and Bangalore. Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) will operate special services from all parts of the state. Buses will also ply round-the-clock during the pilgrimage from Chengannur Railway Station, the gateway to Sabarimala.
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