SABARIMALA: The hill abode of Lord Ayyappa here will be opened on September 9 for the four-day Onam celebrations. Melsanthi Vasudevan Nampoothiri will open the sreekovil at 5pm in the presence of thantri Mahesh Mohanaru.No ritual will be performed at the sreekovil in the evening as an ongoing practice of the temple.
The four-day Onasadya (feast), organised to mark Onam, will begin on September 11, the first Onam day of Uthradam. The ceremony as part of Onasadya will be inaugurated by the thantri by lighting the traditional lamp in the presence of the melsanthi at 11am. The thantri will offer the dishes, including sweets, on a banana leaf in the name of Lord Ayyappa. Following this, devotees who turn up for the darshan will be distributed with the feast.
Kalabhabhishekam and Laksharchana will be the special rituals to be performed at the temple during the four-day festival. In connection with Kalabhabhishekam, the thantri will perform Brahmakalasa pooja at the mandapam of the temple at 10am on September 10. The ritual will conclude with Kalabhabhishekam on the idol of Lord Ayyappa during Uchcha pooja after the procession carrying the Brahmakalasam circumambulates the sreekovil.