Pathanamthitta, August 22, 2013: The five-day monthly rituals at the Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala during the Malayalam month of Chingam drew to a close with Athazhapuja on Wednesday evening.

Sahasrakalasabhishekom and Kalabhabhishekom were performed at the temple prior to Utchapuja. Chief priest (tantri) Kandararu Maheswararu, assisted by head priest (melsanthi) N. Damodaran Potti and other priests, prepared the holy water in 1,000 small copper urns and the Brahmakalasom.

Kalabhapuja was performed at the Namaskara Mandapam in the forenoon. The Brahmakalasom (holy water) and the sandal paste (kalabhom) in two silver urns were taken out in a customary ceremonial procession, to the accompaniments of the sacred Marappani and other traditional temple percussion, for pouring it over the Ayyappa idol by 12.15 p.m.

The tantri performed the Abhishekom and the sandal paste offered to the deity was distributed among the devotees as prasadom, later. Padipuja, Udayasthamanapuja, and Pushpabhishekom were the other important rituals performed at the temple on Wednesday.

The melsanthi closed the sanctum sanctorum, singing the sacred lullaby, ‘Harivaraasanam, Viswamohanam…’, after thazhapuja.

The Ayyappa Temple will be reopened on September 14 afternoon for the seven-day Onam festival puja that begins on September 15, according to the Devaswom executive officer, K.Sankaranarayana Pillai.

Mr Pillai said the Melsanthi would host the Uthradasadya (feast) to the devotees as well as the priests at the Sabarimala on September 15 noon while a devotee from Seethathode, Manikantadas, would be hosting the Onam feast (Onasadya) on September 16. The temple will be closed after the Onam festival on September 21 evening.

Source: The Hindu, August 22, 2013