N.DAMODARAN POTTI NEW SABARIMALA MELSANTHI-2012

N.DAMODARAN POTTI

 NEW SABARIMALA MELSANTHI-2012

N.Damodaran Potti, 47, of Pranavom, Arattukulangara, Thekkenada, Vaikom in Kottayam district will be the new head priest (Melsanthi) at the Lord Ayyappa Temple at Sabarimala for the next one year period beginning from November 16, first day in the Malayalam month of Vrischikom.  Namboodiri, 45, of Karikkode Illom at Karamala in Koothattukulam will be the next head priest of the Malikappuram Devi Temple during the same period.The selection of the two new head priests was made through a draw of lots held at the respective temple sopanam immediately after the Ushapuja on Wednesday morning. Hrishikesh Varma and Keerthana Varma, two children from the Pandalam Palace drew the lots held at the Ayyappa Temple and Malikappuram Devi Temple respectively in the presence of Mr K.Jayakumar, Chief Secretary who is also the chief commissioner of the Travancore Devaswom Board, and Mr K.Babu, Special Commissioner appointed by the Kerala High Court.

Mr  Potti is presently the head priest at the Elankavu Bhagavathy Temple of TDB in Vaikom and Mr Unnikrishna Namboodiri is the head priest at the NSS Devi Temple at Kochu Kadavanthra in Kochi.TDB had shortlisted nine priests for the post of the Sabarimala Melsanthi and 10 others for the Malikapuram Melsanthi post on the basis of a personal interview, held earlier at the board headquarters in Thriuvananthapuram, earlier.

The lots were prepared by the Devaswom authorities at the respective temple sopanam itself. N.Vasu, Devaswom Commissioner; S.Unnikrishnan, TDB Secretary; K.Sankaranarayana Pillai, Executive Officer, and K.Ravikumar, TDB Chief Engineer; were also present.The TDB had introduced the system of ‘draw of lots’ for selecting the new Melsanthi at Sabarimala every year in 1970 following large-scale allegations of corruption involved in the conventional selection process.The ceremonial installation of both the new head priests will be held at the respective temple sopanam at Sabarimala on the eve of the 41-day Mandalam pilgrim season on November 15.

Prof. John Kurakar