The procession carrying the golden urn with Kalabhom (sandal paste) for the Kalabhabhishekom at the Lord Ayyappa Temple at Sabarimala on Tuesday. more-in A large number of Ayyappa devotees from different parts of the State as well as the neighbouring Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh thronged the Sabarimala Sannidhanam to witness the Sahasrakalasabhishekom, Kalabhabhishekom and Padipuja rituals on Tuesday. The auspicious Kalabhabhishekom was performed prior to the Utchapuja. Travancore Devaswom Board president Prayar Gopalakrishnan made the offering in the name of Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Tantri Kandarau Rajeevararu, assisted by Melsanthi T.M. Unnikrishnan Namboodiri, performed Kalabhapuja, Sahasrakalasapuja, and Brahmakalasapuja. The golden urns carrying the Brahmakalasom and Kalabhom (sandal paste) were taken out in a ceremonial procession to the sanctum sanctorum, with the accompaniments of the sacred Marappani and other traditional temple percussion in the forenoon. The Tantri poured the holy water and the sandal paste over the Ayyappa idol prior to the Utchapuja and the Kalabhom offered to the deity was distributed among the devotees as prasadom, later. Padipuja, Pushpabhishekom and Ashtabhishekom were the other special rituals performed at the Ayyappa temple on Tuesday. Devaswom Administrative Officer Yatheendranath said Laksharchana would be performed at the Ayyappa temple on Wednesday and Friday. The temple would be closed after the Athazhapuja on Friday evening, marking the culmination of the five-day rituals in the Malayalam month of Karkkidakom. Niraputhari fete The temple will be opened again on July 29 afternoon for the annual Niraputhari celebrations to be held on July 30. Mr. Yatheendranath said Putharipuja would be performed at the temple between 5.30 a.m. and 6.15 a.m. on July 30. The temple would be closed with the Melsanthi singing the sacred lullaby ‘Harivarasanam Viswa mohanam…’ after the Athazhapuja later in the evening.

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