SABARIMALA: The 41-day-long Mandala Pooja festival, the first phase of the two-month annual pilgrimage season, began at Lord Ayyappa temple here with the opening of the Sreekovil of the hill shrine at 5 pm on Tuesday.
Melsanthi Sankaran Nampoothiri opened the Sreekovil of the temple in the presence of Thantri Kandararu Rajivaru amidst Swamiye Saranamayyappa rendering the air at Sopanam and surrounding areas.
Travancore Devaswom Board member Ajay Tharayil, Devaswom Commissioner C P Ramaraja Prema Prasad and Special Commissioner Manoj were present at the time of the opening of the temple. As an ongoing practice of the temple, no ritual was conducted at the Sreekovil in the evening.
Installation of new Melsanthi
The installation ceremony of Narayanan Nampoothiri as the new Sabarimala melsanthi was performed in front of the Sreekovil at 7 pm.Thantri Rajivaru performed kalasabhishekam, as part of the installation ceremony, on the new Melsanthi.
After the Kalasabhishekam, the thantri passed on the “Moolamantram” of Lord Ayyappa to the ears of the new Melsanthi inside the Sreekovil.
Key handingover ceremony
The ceremony of handing over the key to the new melsanthi was held in front of the Sreekovil at 11 pm after the closure of the temple. As part of the ceremony, the outgoing Melsanthi Sankaran Nampoothiri handed over the key of the Sreekovil after the closure of the nada to devaswom administrative officer Yatheendran and the key was later given to the new melsanthi.
New Melsanthi to take charge today
New Sabarimala melsanthi Narayanan Nampoothiri will take charge for a one- year term by opening the Sreekovil of the temple at 3 am on Wednesday.