Pathanamthitta: The sacred Makaravilakku festival at the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa Temple is set to take place today, drawing thousands of devotees to the holy site. The ceremonial “thiruvabharanam,” or sacred jewels of Lord Ayyappa, began its journey from the Pandalam shrine and is expected to reach the Sannidhanam by 6 pm. Approximately 1.5 lakh devotees are anticipated to witness the celestial Makara Jyothi and participate in the rituals.
The highlight of the festival, the Makara Sankrama Pooja, is scheduled at 8:50 am. During this auspicious time, an abhishekam will be performed with ghee brought from the Kowdiar Palace. The temple will remain open for darshan until noon before closing for a brief period. Evening rituals, including the Sandhya Deeparadhana, will resume later, during which the Makara star is expected to appear in the sky, followed by the lighting of the sacred Makara Jyothi at Ponnambalamedu.
To ensure safety and crowd management, devotees will not be permitted to travel from Pamba to the Sannidhanam from 12 pm onwards until after the Makaravilakku rituals. Robust security measures, led by the police, forest department, Rapid Action Force, and other agencies, have been implemented under the leadership of the Travancore Devaswom Board. According to P.S. Prasanth, the board’s president, barricades and lighting arrangements have been installed at Sannidhanam and other key viewing points to facilitate a safe and smooth experience for the devotees.
