SABARIMALA: The three-day procession carrying the ‘Thiruvabharanam’, the sacred ornaments made of gold to be adorned on the idol of Lord Ayyappa during the Makaravilakku ceremony on January 14, began the journey to Sabarimala from Pandalam on Friday.The procession began from Pandalam Valiya Koyikkal Sree Dharmasastha temple after witnessing the ‘Krishnaparunthu’ on the sky above the temple at 1 pm.
Travancore Devaswom Board president A Padmakumar, members K Raghavan and K P Sankaradas, Devaswom commissioner C P Ramaraja Prema Prasad, secretary Jayasree and chief engineers V Sankaran Potti and Vinayakumar were among those present.Kept in three sandalwood boxes, the ornaments are being carried on head by a 20-member team headed by 80-year-old Kulathinal Gangadharan Pillai.
Security and safety cover is being provided by 25 personnel from the Armed Police wing of Pathanamthitta headed by assistant commandant Sasidharan Nair.
Traditional reception was accorded to the procession at the Kaipuzha Sree Krishnaswami temple and the Kulanada Devi temple where hundreds of devotees offered darsan to the sacred ornaments. At Ullannur Sree Bhadra Devi temple, the procession was given a traditional reception upon arrival at the temple’s south fort at 1.30 pm. Artists playing temple percussion instruments led the procession. Hundreds of devotees offered worship when the boxes containing the sacred ornaments were opened for darsan.
After leaving Ullannur, the procession was given reception at Kuriyanappally, Aranmula, Kozhencherry and Cherukol before its first night halt at the Ayroor Puthiyakavu Devi temple.It will leave the Perunad temple at 2 pm and halt for the night at Laha Forest IB after reception at Konnankara, Sabari Saranasramam.On its concluding day, the procession will be given reception at Plappally Junction, Nilackal Lord Mahadeva temple and Attathode before noon halt at Valiyanavattam-Pampa. It will leave at 3 pm and reach Saramkuthi at 5 pm where the Devaswom team headed by Sabarimala Devaswom executive officer V N Chandrasekharan will give a traditional reception and lead the procession to Sopanam.
A Padmakumar, Raghavan Sankaradas will receive the procession in front of the temple’s sreekovil. There, thantri Mahesh Mohanaru and melsanthi Unnikrishnan Nampoothiri will receive the boxes containing the ornaments. A ‘deeparadhana’ will be performed after adorning the ornaments on Lord Ayyappa’s idol at 6.30 pm.