The Mandala-Makaravilakku festival will commence tomorrow. At 5 p.m., P.N. Mahesh Namboothiri will open the temple doors and light the lamp. After the doors open, the sacred fire in the “Aazhi” will be lit. The new head priests of Sabarimala and Malikappuram will assume their duties tomorrow. The priests, who have undergone special training at Thazhamon Madham, will be anointed by Tantri Kandararu Rajeevar. From 1 p.m., pilgrims will be allowed to proceed from Pamba to the temple.
Thirty thousand pilgrims have booked for darshan today. Tomorrow, the newly appointed head priest, Arun Kumar Namboothiri, will open the temple doors at 3 a.m. for the Vrischika Pooja. This is also the first Mandala season since the floods during which parking for smaller vehicles has been permitted at Pamba.
Final preparations are underway at Pamba and Nilakkal for the Mandala season. At Nilakkal, arrangements have been made to park 3,000 more vehicles compared to last year. The construction of permanent and temporary shelters at Pamba has also been completed.
