Sabarimala, 18 Oct (H.S.): Areekkara Subrahmanyan Sankaran Namboothiri, head priest of the Pazhavangadi Ganapathy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, has been selected as the new head priest of the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple through a draw of lots held at the Sannidhanam.

A. Damodaran Namboothiri, a native of Vadakara in Kozhikode district, was selected as the head priest of the Malikappuram Temple during the selection proceedings.

Seven candidates were considered for the Sabarimala head priest’s position, while five were in contention for the corresponding post at Malikappuram. The final selections were made by drawing lots from the shortlisted names.

Sankaran Namboothiri, a native of Thiruvananthapuram, expressed happiness over his selection, describing it as a blessing from Lord Ganapathy of Pazhavangadi and his spiritual teacher.

He said he had applied for the Sabarimala head priest’s post five times and had been shortlisted on three occasions. This time, he was placed first on the list, which had raised his hopes of being selected.

“I am happy to have been selected. I had hopes this time because I was first on the list. This is also the blessing of Pazhavangadi Ganapathy,” he said.

Sankaran Namboothiri said he had served at the Pazhavangadi temple for the past five years. Recalling his earlier attempts, he said he had applied for the Sabarimala assignment before 2020.

He also attributed his selection to the blessings of his guru, the tantric scholar Ambalappuzha Puthumana Sreedharan Namboothiri, whom he credited with guiding his spiritual journey.

Damodaran Namboothiri belongs to Ayadath Illam in Vadakara and currently serves as the head priest of Keezhur Shiva Temple at Payyoli.

Responding to his selection for Malikappuram, he said the opportunity was a divine blessing made possible by the blessings of his teachers and elders and the prayers of well-wishers.

Both priests expressed gratitude after their names were chosen in the draw at Sannidhanam.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman