The Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa Temple is gearing up for the Mandala Pooja, an important ritual that marks the culmination of the first phase of the annual pilgrimage. Scheduled for December 26, this sacred ceremony will be conducted by the temple’s head priest, Kandararu Rajeevaru, from 12:00 pm to 12:30 pm. Following the pooja, the ‘Thanka Anki’ procession, which began at the Aranmula Parthasarathi Temple, will reach Pamba and be ceremoniously welcomed by Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan and Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) officials.
The temple doors will close at 11 pm on December 26 after the conclusion of the Mandala Pooja and the ‘Neyyabhishekam’ ritual, marking the end of the pilgrimage phase. Sabarimala will reopen on December 30 for the Makaravilakku festivities, with the main ritual set for January 14, 2024. Virtual queue bookings have been capped at 50,000 for December 25 and 60,000 for December 26, ensuring crowd management in line with a High Court directive.
So far, over 30.87 lakh pilgrims have visited the temple this season, marking an increase of 4.46 lakh compared to last year. Additionally, the TDB will revive the ‘Pamba Sangamam,’ a spiritual and cultural event returning after a five-year hiatus, from January 12, 2024. As part of the Makaravilakku festival, golden lockets of Lord Ayyappa will be made available, adding a special touch to the celebrations.
