More than 2.5 lakh pilgrims have visited Lord Ayappa Temple at Sabrimala in Kerala’s Pathanamthitta district in the first six days of the ongoing pilgrimage season, said Kerala Devaswom Department Minister K Radhakrishnan on Wednesday.
“2,61,874 pilgrims have visited Sabarimala in the first six days of this pilgrim season. There are indications that the number of devotees will increase in the coming days,” said the minister. The portals of the Lord Ayappa Temple at Sabrimala opened on 17 November for devotees for the annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku festivals, marking the beginning of the two-month-long annual pilgrimage season.
The minister further said that 47,947 people had come for darshan on 17 November, the first day of the season.
The minister also mentioned that more devotees are expected to arrive in the coming days.
“The extended darshan schedule has made it more convenient for the devotees. Temple will be open at 3 am instead of 5 am and it will be opened in the afternoon at 3 p.m. This has also reduced the waiting time of the devotees,” he said.
Radhakrishnan said that the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has so far operated 6,693 services on the Nilakkal-Pampa route and return.
The Chief priest (Melsanthi) opened the sanctum sanctorum in the presence of the thantri of the temple and lit the lamp at the hill shrine on 17 November.
The 41-day Mandala season began on 17 November with the start of the month of Vrishchikam of the Malayalam calendar and will end on 27 December.
Live booking facilities have been set up for the devotees, who could not book their darshan slots via online mode.
K. Jayaraman Namboothiri took charge as Sabarimala’s chief priest, and Hariharan Namboothiri took over charge as chief priest of the Malikappuram temple.
According to K. Rajan, the revenue minister, the authorities expect at least 40 lakh devotees to visit the shrine this year. According to current virtual queue registrations, approximately 50,000 devotees are expected.
Last year, entry was allowed only through online registration following the Covid-19 protocols.
The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), the apex temple body, manages the functioning of the hill shrine.
The Sabarimala Sree Dharma Sastha Temple, dedicated to Lord Ayyappa, is the most famous and prominent among all the Sastha temples in Kerala. The temple is situated on a hilltop (about 3000 feet above sea level) and is open to people belonging to all religions.
