Pathanamthitta, August 24, 2013: Welcoming pilgrims to the sacred grove of Sabarimala during this year’s Mandalam-Makaravilakku festival will be fragrant blooms of wide and vibrant varieties.

Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has decided to launch a project to grow flowers needed for rituals (puja) at the Lord Ayyappa temple and its associated shrines around the holy hillock, P. Venugopal, Devaswom Commissioner, and Subhash Vasu, TDB member, say.

The idea is to set up flower gardens at Pampa, Sabarimala, and on either side of the trekking path to the shrine.

The aim is to be ready with the project when the Ayyappa Temple opens for the Onam festival on September 14, Mr Vasu says.

Source: The Hindu, August 24, 2013