Hundreds of pilgrims climbed the holy hills of Sabarimala braving the
rain to pray at the Ayyappa temple which opened on Tuesday afternoon for
the five-day puja in the Malayalam month of Thulam beginning Wednesday.
Many are camping at the Sannidhanam for Nirmalya Darshan and to witness
the draw of lots to select the next Melsanthis (head priests) for a
year’s term at the Ayyappa temple and the adjoining Malikappuram Devi
temple.
Devaswom Executive Officer K. Sankaranarayana Pillai said
Kalabhabhishekom would be performed at the Ayyappa temple prior to
Utchapuja.
The new head priests will be selected after Ushapuja. Hrishikesh Varma
and Keerthana Varma, children from the Pandalom Palace, will draw lots
at the “Sopanams” of the two temples.
Shortlisted names
The Travancore Devaswom Board has shortlisted nine names for the Ayyappa
temple and 10 for the Malikappuram temple after an interview at its
headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram.
Those in contention for the Ayyappa temple are T.K. Sreedharan
Namboodiri of Thottasserry Illom in Thiruvalla; S.E. Sankaran Namboodiri
of Sobha Nivas at Peringol in Thiruvalla; Damodaran Namboodiri of
Kunnamkulam Thamattoor Mana in Thrissur; T.M. Unnikrishnan of
Cherpulasserry Thekkumparamthu Mana in Palakkad; Krishnan Namboodiri S.
of Sreevallabhom at Mathilbhagom in Thiruvalla; Vishnu Namboodiri C.K.
of Cherukol Cheruthala Madhom in Mavelikara; N. Damodaran Potti of
Pranavom in Vaikom; M.P. Krishnan Namboodiri of Karamana Marangattu
Illom in Thiruvananthapuram; and A.N. Unnikrishnan Namboodiri of
Karikkode Illom in Koothattukulam.
Those shortlisted for the Malikappuram temple are E. Sankaran Namboodiri
from Thiruvalla; Unnikrishnan Namboodiri from Koothattukulam; C.T.
Narayanan Namboodiri from Kadalur in Palakkad; S. Kesavan Namboodiri
from Kottarkavu in Mavelikara; C.K. Vishnu Namboodiri from Mavelikara;
K.G. Pradeepkumar from Irinjalakkuda; N. Madhava Sarma from Alappuzha;
P.N. Narayanan Namboodiri from Kothamangalam; K.P. Girish from wandoor
in Malappuram; and V. Hariharan Nambyathiri from Indanthurathil Mana in
Vaikom.
The Ayyappa temple will be closed after Athazhapuja on Sunday evening
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