Mandala Pooja

Mandala Pooja

• Mandalam- Makaravilakku festival starts at Sabarimala Ayyappa temple on first day in the Malayalam month of ‘Vrischikom’. Mandalakalam starts from that day. For that the sanctum sanctorum opens at 5.30 p.m. on the same day.

• The sanctum sanctorum is opened by new Melsanthis at 5 a.m. on that day. The rituals for Mandalam- Makaravilakku start with ‘Ashta Dravya Ganapathi Homom’ at 5 a.m. followed by ‘Neyyabhishekom’ at 5.15 a.m. The ‘Mandalapuja’ and ‘Uchapuja’ are performed at the Ayyappa temple on the last day of mandalakalam and then ‘Mandalam’ festival ends with ‘Athazhapuja’ in the afternoon

• The temple will reopen on December 30 for the ‘Makaravilakku’ festival and will end with 20 January 2009. The procession of carrying the Thiruvabharanam (Royal Ornaments)to Sabarimala Ayyappa temple will start from Pandalam Valiyakoickal Sastha Temple on January 12. The Makara Jyoti, star shows up on the Makaravilakku day, will be seen on January 14. The ending of Makaravilakku festival is marked by the Darshan of the representative of the Pandalam Royal Family.