Thiruvananthapuram: Famous Sabarimala Ayappa temple will open on Thursday evening for a two-month-long Mandala pilgrimage season. Tantri Kantararu Mahesh Mohanaru will open the sanctum sanctorum at 5.00 pm. Following this, newly elected chief priest PN Mahesh will take charge. Current chief Priest K Jayaraman Namboothiri will not attend the rituals due to the death of a relative.
This time, stone pillars erected in the temple entrance will win the hearts of the devotees. The pillars are a part of the under-construction hydraulic roof. Vishwa Samudra, a Hyderabad-based construction firm is constructing the roof as an offering to Lord Ayappa. Manorama News reported that the company has allocated nearly Rs 70 lakh for the project. Beautiful carvings and spinning wheels with the writing ‘Swamiya Saranam Ayappa’ are the major attractions of the pillars erected on both sides of the ‘Padinettam Padi’.
The hydraulic roof, which can be folded to the sides when there is no rain, has been designed by the Chennai-headquartered Capital Engineering Consultancy. With ‘Pathinettam padi’ getting a roof, rains will not pose a problem during the ‘Padi puja’ ritual (prayers to the 18 holy steps). At present, a tarpaulin sheet is drawn over the steps during ‘Padi puja.’
The 60-day-long Mandala pilgrimage season will conclude on December 27. The temple will reopen for the Makaravilakku festival on December 30. A huge number of devotees are expected to attend the annual Makaravilakku festival on January 15.