SABARIMALA TEMPLE MAKARA VILAKKU PILGRIMAGE-2009

SABARIMALA TEMPLE
MAKARA VILAKKU PILGRIMAGE-2009
The Ayyappa temple at sabarimala was opened on Sunday 15th November,2009 for two-month Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage beginning Monday 16th November, the first day of Malayalam month of Vrishikom. The Melsanthi opened sanctum sanctum at 5.30 pm on Sunday.
The holy hillock witnessed a heavy rush as hundreds of pilgrims from Tamilnadu, Andrapradesh and Karnataka braved the heavy down pour to trek to the temple. The Mandala puja, marking the culmination of the 41 day mandalam festival, will be held on December 26 and the temple will be closed that evening. The Ayyppa Temple will re-open in the after noon of December 30 for makaravilakku festival beginning the next day.
Devaswom minister inaugurated the Ayyappa medical center of Amrita Institute of Medical sciences at pampa on Sunday 15th November. AMTU is aimed at delivering a wide range of modern health-care facilities to the pilgrims coming from different parts of the country to sabarimala during the two month-long annual pilgrimage season.
Thousands of devotees from various parts of the country were camping at the sannidhanam and surrounding areas as the two month pilgrimage to the Ayyappa temple at sabarimala began on Monday, the first day of the Malayalam month of vrishikom. The holy hill has been witnessing a heavy rush. The new head priest(melsanti) opend the sanctum sanctorum at 4 am. Devotees had to wait in long queues.
Every pilgrim was made to go through door-frame metal detectors at the two entry points on the northern side of the temple as part of tight security arrangements.
The police have made elaborate security arrangements at sabarimala to check infiltration of anti-social elements and miscreants in to the pilgrim center during the mandalam-maharavilakku pilgrim season. Scanning of bags and even irumudikettu with the help of x-ray scanners will be done as and when necessary.

Prof John Kurakar
Kottarakara, 9447559495