Annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage,

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• The temple will be kept open for a total of 16 hours a day during the annual pilgrimage seasonRenukumarDevaswom executive officer

With hardly 24 hours left for the two-month-long annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage, Sabarimala has turned into a beehive of activities with various stakeholders making arrangements to receive the pilgrims coming from different parts of the country and abroad.
The outgoing Melsanthi, E.N. Krishnadas Namboodiri, will open the sanctum sanctorum at 5 p.m. on Monday for the 41-day Mandalam pilgrim season that begins on Tuesday the first day of the Malayalam month of Virschikom.
Installation of S.E. Sankaran Namboodiri and E.S. Unnikrishnan Namboodiri as the new head priest (Melsanthi) at the Ayyappa temple and the Malikappuram Devi temple respectively will be held at the respective temple sopanam on Monday evening.
The temple rituals will begin with senior chief priest (Tantri) Kandararu Mahesh Mohanararu performing the Ashtadravya Maha Ganapati homom on Tuesday morning.
The temple will be kept open for a total of 16 hours a day during the annual pilgrimage season, according to Devaswom executive officer Renukumar.
Meanwhile, pilgrims from different parts of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Kerala have already started camping at Pampa awaiting the opening of the temple. The Mandalapuja will be held on December 27. The temple will be closed in the evening.
The temple will reopen on December 30 afternoon for the Makaravilakku festival.
The Pettathullal at Erumeli will be held on January 11 and the procession carrying the sacred attire, Thiruvabharanam, will set off to Sabarimala from Pandalam on January 12.
The Makarvilakku festival falls on January 15. The temple will be closed after the customary holy darshan exclusively for the royal representative from the Pandalam palace on January 20, marking the culmination of the annual festival.
Annadanam begins
The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has started round-the-clock Annadanam (feeding of pilgrims) at Sabarimala Sannidhanam, Pampa and Nilackal base camp on Sunday morning, according to Executive Officer Renukumar.
Mr. Kumar said the TDB had started the Annadanam at two Mandapams (dining halls) at the Sannidhanam and one each at Pampa and Nilackal.
Mr. Kumar said the buffer stock of Aravana payasom has crossed 33 lakh cans (250 ml each) by Sunday afternoon. The preparation of Appam began two days ago and its buffer stock too has crossed three-lakh packets. There would not be any restriction on the sale of prasadoms, he said.