The Hindu : Thousands witness 'Makarajyothi'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jan 15, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Thousands witness 'Makarajyothi'

By Our Staff Reporter

The crowd of Ayyappa devotees at the Sabarimala Sannidhanam on Makaravilakku day on Wednesday.

SABARIMALA, JAN 14 . Tens of thousands of Ayyappa devotees today witnessed `Makarajyothi', the celestial light, that appeared on the eastern horizon of the Ayyappa Sannidhanam at 6.50 p.m.

The Sannidhanam was turned into a sea of humanity by this evening following the heavy influx of pilgrims to witness the Makarajyothi.

The pilgrims even climbed on roof-tops and perched on trees to have a darshan of the `Makarajyothi'.

The procession carrying the Thiruvabharanam, the sacred jewellery of the presiding deity, reached the Sannidhanam by 6.35 p.m. The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) authorities accorded a rousing reception to the procession.

A large number of pilgrims were found camping at Pulmedu, Uppupara, Pandithavalam, Pampa and even

on the hills at Pampa, Attathode and Nilackal from where they could get a glimpse of the Makarajyothi and the celestial star Makara today.

The Thiruvabharanam was taken to the sanctum sanctorum by the Tantri, Kantaru Rajeevaru, and the Melsanthi, Gosala Vishnu Vasudevan, by 6.40 p.m. to adorn the Ayyappa idol prior to the Deeparadhana.

The Deeparadhana was held at 6.50 p.m. and by that time the bright star Makara was also sighted in the eastern horizon of the Sannidhanam.

The Makarajyothi was sighted four times on the hillside towards the east of the Sannidhanam soon after the Deeparadhana.

The former Union Minister and the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament, Buta Singh, and 11 other PAC members, the Supreme Court Judge, Arijit Pasayat, and Justice K.S. Radhakrsihnan of the Kerala High Court were among those who had darshan of the Makarajyothi from the Sannidhanam.

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