Ayyappa temple to welcome devotees with new gold-plated door next week

The Sabarimala temple is all set to get a new gold-plated door when the hill shrine opens for the 11-day monthly poojas next week. The existing door of the sanctum sanctorum, which developed tiny cracks, would be replaced with the new one on the night of March 11, temple authorities said.

The holy door, made of quality teak wood, is plated with at least four kilograms of gold after engraving and embossing it with copper. The shrine, opening for monthly poojas on March 11, will be closed on March 21.

A group of Sabarimala devotees, led by one Unni Namboothiri, met the expenses of the new door as an offering to the presiding deity, Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president A Padmakumar said. "The new door is dedicated by them as an offering to Lord Ayyappa. The existing door has developed some cracks. A devaprasnam (astrological consultation) was also made some time back regarding the changing of the door," he told PTI.

"The new door is designed in such a way that the gold platings can be removed if the door suffers any damage in course of time," the TDB chief said. The door would be brought to Elampally Dharmasasta Temple, from where it would be taken in a procession to the Sabarimala shrine as a procession on March 10, he added.

The TDB officials would receive the holy door at Sannidhanam, the Sabarimala temple complex. The Lord Ayyappa Temple had recently witnessed frenzied protests by devotees opposing the implementation of the landmark September 28 Supreme Court verdict permitting women of all age groups into the temple.