Sabarimala temple opens for Karkidakam month poojas

Sabarimala: The Sabarimala temple in Kerala has opened its doors for the Karkidakam month ceremonies. The shrine was opened on Monday at 5 pm in the presence of Tantri Kantararu Mahesh Mohanar as the head priest PN Mahesh Namboothiri lit the ceremonial lamp in the sanctum sanctorum.

Devotees began their ascent to the temple after the lighting of the traditional fire below the eighteenth step. Thousands gathered to witness the deity adorned with sacred ashes.

No special poojas were conducted on Monday. However, Neyyabhishekam was conducted early morning, Tuesday, marking the first day of the Karkidakam month. In the evening, Padipooja will be performed. On July 20, the event will culminate with the singing of Harivarasanam at 10 pm, concluding the ceremonies.

Meanwhile, the Devaswom Board has evaluated the preparations for the next Sabarimala pilgrimage season, including restricting the number of pilgrims allowed through virtual queue on daily basis to 80,000. The decisions taken earlier were validated at a meeting of Devaswom Board members, chaired by president P S Prasanth. It had also been decided to avoid spot booking in a meeting held by March end. 

Also, in a bid to prevent isolation of Sabarimala temple during floods like the one that submerged the bridges over the Pamba river in 2018, measures are being taken to construct a new safety bridge at the site. A detailed project plan of the same has been uploaded on the Parivesh portal for the approval of the Ministry of Environment and Forests.