Southern States - Kerala   

Shrine closed after Mandala pooja

By Our Staff Reporter

PATHANAMTHITTA Dec. 27. The Lord Ayyappa Temple at Sabarimala was closed after the 41-day Mandalam season today. The auspicious Mandala pooja was performed at the Ayyappa shrine at 12.30 noon.

The `neyyabhishekom' to the presiding deity was over by 10 a.m. The Tantri (chief priest), Kantaru Rajeevaru, assisted by the Melsanthi (head priest), Gosala Vishnu Vasudevan, performed a `kalabhabhishekom' on the Ayyappa idol at 11.50 a.m. prior to the Mandala pooja.

The Tantri performed the `kalabha pooja' at the Namaskara Mandapam of the temple at 11.30 a.m. The silver urn carrying the `kalabhom' (sandal paste) was taken in a procession to the accompaniment of the sacred `marappani' and other temple orchestra, to the sanctum sanctorum at 11.40 a.m. The Tantri then performed the `kalabhabhishekom' on the presiding deity amidst the loud chants of `sarana mantra' by hundreds of devotees who had gathered at the temple sopanam. The sanctum sanctorum was closed for a few minutes and then reopened for the auspicious Mandala pooja.

The Cultural Affairs Minister, G. Karthikeyan, the Special Commissioner appointed by the Kerala High Court, D. Sreevallabhan, the Devaswom Commissioner, S. Ayyappan Nair, were among those who attended the pooja.

The Melsanthi closed the sanctum sanctorum with the divine lullaby, Harivarasanam, after the Athazha pooja, later in the evening.

The temple will be opened for the Makaravilakku festival at 5 p.m. on January 1. The auspicious Makaravilakku falls on January 14.

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