Sabarimala, 14 Jan (H.S.): Sabarimala is witnessing heightened spiritual fervour today as lakhs of devotees observe the much-awaited Makara Sankranti Pooja and Makara Jyothi Darshan, one of the most sacred events of the annual pilgrimage season.
The temple will open for devotees at 2.45 p.m., ahead of the Makara Sankranti Abhishekam, which is scheduled to be performed at 3.08 p.m. The ceremonial Deeparadhana will take place at 6.40 p.m. after the adorning of the idol with the Thiruvabharanam (sacred ornaments) brought from the Pandalam Palace. Simultaneously, the divine Makara Jyothi will be lit at Ponnambalamedu, marking the spiritual climax of the pilgrimage season.
The Thiruvabharanam procession will be formally received at 6.20 p.m. by Devaswom Minister V.N. Vasavan, Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) President K. Jayakumar, and board members P.D. Santhosh Kumar and K. Raju. At the temple’s Sopanam, the sacred casket containing the ornaments will be received by Tantri Kandaru Mahesh Mohanar and Melsanthi E.D. Prasad Namboothiri.
As per High Court directives, entry to the Sannidhanam on Makara Jyothi day has been capped at 35,000 pilgrims to ensure safety and crowd management. Elaborate arrangements have been made for the return of pilgrims, including the deployment of 1,000 KSRTC buses from Pampa and other transit points.
The Travancore Devaswom Board has confirmed that all preparations for the Makara Jyothi festival have been completed. Strict restrictions have been imposed on viewing the Jyothi from the temple courtyard and flyover areas. Only devotees carrying photo-embedded identity passes issued by the Devaswom Board will be permitted access to these zones. The passes are non-transferable under any circumstances.
Authorities have urged pilgrims not to rush immediately after the Makara Jyothi darshan, noting that additional buses have been arranged to facilitate a smooth return. Learning from previous years, the Devaswom Board has also introduced an online room-booking system this season to avoid accommodation shortages.
Meanwhile, a comprehensive review of this pilgrimage season and planning for the next Sabarimala season will be undertaken at an inter-departmental meeting scheduled for February 6, the Devaswom Board President said.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman
