Final preparations underway at Sabarimala for Mandala pilgrimage

Sabarimala is set to open for the 41-day Mandala pilgrimage season beginning Monday, with the Travancore Devaswom Board completing all arrangements for lakhs of devotees. Facilities include drinking water points, medical centres, sanitation services and strict virtual queue control

Pathanamthitta (Kerala): With just a day left for the commencement of the annual pilgrimage season, arrangements are in full swing in the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa Temple to welcome lakhs of devotees from across the world.

The 41-day-long Mandala pilgrimage season will begin on Monday, the first day of the Malayalam month of Vrichikam, and the doors of the hill shrine will be opened on Sunday evening ahead of that.

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The sanctum sanctorum of the temple would be opened in the evening under the aegis of the current temple ‘tantri’ (head priest), and the ‘melshanthi’ (chief priest) would lead the rituals, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) sources said.

The installation ceremony of the newly appointed ‘melshanthis’ of the Sabarimala and Malikappuram temples would also be held on the occasion, they said. TDB, the temple body which manages the shrine, said all necessary arrangements and preparations have been completed at Sannidhanam, the temple complex, to welcome devotees.

Facilities have been made to ensure an uninterrupted supply of safe drinking water to the pilgrims who trek several kilometers to reach the lord Ayyappa temple. Installation of resting benches, drinking water kiosks, centres to distribute “chukkuvellam” (dried ginger water), and hot water were among various facilities arranged for pilgrims, TDB sources said.

Hundreds of sanitation workers would be deployed for round-the-clock service in Sabarimala and its premises during the period. An array of toilets, including bio-toilets, has been set up in Sannidhanam as well as throughout the trekking paths, they said, adding that multilingual information boards placed in various locations would be a help to devotees flocking from various parts of the country.

Several emergency medical centres have been opened under the aegis of the Health Department at various dedicated points to meet any chances of health issues of pilgrims. Strict directions are in place through the virtual queue system to regulate the number of pilgrims visiting the shrine each day, authorities added.

The present annual pilgrimage season is happening at a time when Sabarimala has been at the centre of a huge political controversy over the loss of gold. Former bureaucrat K Jayakumar on Saturday took charge as the new president of the TDB. “The Sabarimala pilgrimage should go smoothly without causing any difficulties for devotees. If there are any wrongdoings or illegal practices concerning the temple affairs, it should be rooted out,” Jayakumar told reporters ahead of trekking to Sabarimala.