KOCHI: A month ahead of the Mandala festival season, the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple selected the Melsanthi (chief priest) on Saturday.
E D Prasad of Erannoor Mana at Mattathur Kunnu in Chalakudy has been selected as the chief priest. M G Manu Namboothiri of Mayyanad in Kollam district will serve as the melsanthi of Malikappuram temple.
The new melsanthis will assume charge on November 17, the first day of the Malayalam month of Vrischikam. The two-month-long Mandala Makaravilakku season will commence on November 17 and conclude on January 21.
The melsanthis were selected through a draw of lots held early on Saturday morning in front of the sanctum sanctorum in the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple.
Kashyap Varma, an 11-year-old boy from the Pandalam royal family, selected the Sabarimala Melsanthi, while the selection of Malikappuram Melsanthi was conducted by Mythili, a nine-year-old girl from the royal family.
Kashyap is a fifth-grade student at the Digitalis Primary School in the Netherlands, while Mythili is a fourth-grade student at Samhita Academy School in Bengaluru.
ED Prasad is currently serving as the chief priest of Aareswaram Dharma Sastha Temple. M G Manu Namboothiri has been serving as the priest of Dharma Sastha Temple at Koottikkada in Kollam district for the past 26 years.
As many as 14 people had applied for the post of Sabarimala Melsanthi, while there were 13 eligible candidates for the post of Malikappuram Melsanthi.