SABARIMALA: The Sabarimala temple was opened on Tuesday for 18 days to celebrate annual and Vishu festivals. Melsanthi Arunkumar Nampoothiri opened the sreekovil at 5pm in the presence of thantri Kandararu Brahmadathan and Kandararu Rajivaru. No rituals were performed at the sreekovil in the evening.
Darshan for devotees are restricted to those who possess virtual queue passes and should undergo verification at the counters at Pampa Anjaneya auditorium before the gate at Pampa. However, devotees will be allowed for darshan with spot passes issued at the special counters set up at Nilakkal and Pampa.
Kodiyettu ceremony, marking the beginning of the 10-day annual festival, will be held between 9.30am and 10.30am on Wednesday. It will be performed under the leadership of thantri Kandararu Brahmadathan in the presence of Kandararu Rajivaru and the melsanthi. Travancore Devaswom Board president P S Prasanth and members G Sundaresan and A Ajikumar will be present on the occasion. After the ceremony, feast will be offered to devotees.
Utsavabali ritual, one of the important events of the annual festival, will be held for eight days from the second day of the festival on Thursday till the ninth day of the festival on April 10. Vilakkinezhunnellippu, the procession carrying the ‘thidambu,’ from the fifth day of the festival to the ninth day, and ‘pallivetta’ ritual on the ninth day of the festival will be other events of the festival.
‘Arattu’ ceremony, the event marking the conclusion of the festival, will be performed at Arattukadavu on the side of the Pampa at 11.30am on April 11 under the leadership of the thantri in the presence of the melsanthi. The eight-day Vishu festival will begin on April 12. The Vishukani darshan for devotees will be held between 4am and 6am on April 14.
The temple will be closed after the conclusion of both annual and Vishu festivals at 10pm on April 18.