Thousands Gather for Mandala Pooja at Sabarimala Temple

Thousands of devotees gathered at the Lord Ayyappa Temple in Sabarimala to participate in the Mandala pooja, marking the end of a 41-day pilgrimage. The sacred ritual featured the deity adorned in golden attire, concluding with the temple closing until its December reopening for the Makaravilakku festival.

Thousands of pilgrims gathered at the Lord Ayyappa Temple in Sabarimala on Saturday for the auspicious Mandala pooja, which marks the culmination of the 41-day annual pilgrimage season.

The ritual was performed after the deity was adorned with the 'thanka anki', a sacred golden attire brought to the temple in a procession the previous evening. The pooja occurred between 10:10 and 11:30, under the supervision of the temple's head priest, Kandararu Mahesh Mohanaru, according to Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) officials.

Long queues of devotees, many dressed in traditional black attire and carrying 'irumudikettu' on their heads, were seen at Sannidhanam from early morning. The temple concluded the ceremony with the rendition of 'Harivarasanam', closing its doors at 10 pm. The temple is scheduled to reopen on December 30 for the Makaravilakku festival.

(With inputs from agencies.)