SABARIMALA: ‘Vilakkinezhunnellippu’, one of the important events of the annual festival of Sabarimala temple, began on Sunday.
As part of the five-day ritual, the procession carrying the ‘thidambu’ with the sribali idol of the lord on a caparisoned elephant, was taken out from Sopanam after athazha pooja at 9 pm.
The procession was led by artists playing percussion instruments, including panchavadyam, circumambulating the Sreekovil for seven times. The ritual will conclude on the ninth day of the annual festival on April 10. ‘Pallivetta’ will be the other important event of the festival which will be held on the ninth day of the festival on April 10.
The festival will conclude with ‘aarattu’ ceremony at Arattukadavu, opposite of Pampa Lord Ganapathi temple at 11.30 am on April 11 under the leadership of thantri Kandararu Brahmadathan in the presence of melsanthi Arunkumar Nampoothiri.
The procession carrying the thidambu will leave for Pampa from Sannidhanam. After the ‘aarattu’ ceremony, the procession will return to Sannidhanam at 6.30 pm and the festival will conclude with the closure of the temple at 10 pm after ‘valiyakanikka’ and athazha pooja.