Heavy Crowd at Sabarimala on Opening Day of Annual Pilgrimage

Hundreds of devotees thronged the famed Lord Ayyappa Temple here early on Monday, the auspicious first day of the Malayalam month of ‘Vrichikam’, which marks the beginning of the annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season.

Dressed in the customary black attire and carrying the ‘irumudikkettu’ (sacred bundle) on their heads, pilgrims from inside and outside the state



queued for hours to offer prayers to Lord Ayyappa.

As the newly appointed ‘melsanthi’ (chief priest) E D Prasad Namboothiri, opened the temple portals, devotees chanted the hymns of Lord Ayyappa in unison.

The temple was opened in the presence of ‘tantri’ (head priest) Kantararu Mahesh Mohanaru, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) said in a statement.