SABARIMALA, Nov 16: The Lord Ayyappa temple situated in Sabarimala hills
in Kerala's Pathanamthitta district opened on Thursday for the annual
Mandala-Makaravilakku pujas lasting nearly two months with the opening
of the sanctum sanctorum by the head priest at 5 pm.
As several lakhs of devotees visit the temple during the pilgrimage season,
security has been tightened deploying 13,000 policemen. Drones are being used
for surveillance. To ensure seamless telecom connectivity, mobile towers have
been installed by the BSNL all along the route through the hills. A public WiFi
service has also been enabled. Over 200 buses will ply on the interior route.
There are 15 health centres set up along the trekking route from Pampa to 'Sannidhanam'
(shrine).
The first of the two phases of the pujas, called Mandala Puja Mahotsavam, will
end on Decembe 27 (41-day pilgrimage) and the second phase, Makaravilakku Mahotsavam,
will begin on December 30 and closes with the darshan of Makaravilakku on January
15, 2024.
The pilgrimage season begins on the first day of the Malayalam month Vrichikam
on Friday.
Also See:
SABARIMALA, the pilgrim centre
