Hundreds of devotees gathered at the Lord Ayyappa Temple in Sabarimala from the early hours of Monday as the shrine opened for the Chingam month and the Malayalam New Year. Pilgrims had begun arriving in large numbers on Sunday evening ahead of the opening.
The temple opened for darshan at 5 am on Monday after being closed following the evening pujas on Sunday. It will remain open until 10 pm on August 21 for the Chingam month rituals and reopen on August 24 for Onam-related ceremonies.
Thiruvonam, the main day of the Onam festival, will be celebrated on August 26 this year.
On Sunday, the final day of the Malayalam month of Karkidakam, melsanthi Prasad ED performed the evening pujas in the presence of tantri Kandararu Brahmadathan.
The sacred fire was later lit in the aazhi, the holy fire pit located below the Pathinettam Padi, or the 18 sacred steps.
The selection of the Sabarimala ulkazhakam, who assists the melsanthi with pujas and other rituals, will be held on Monday after the usha puja, the morning ritual.
Devotees planning to visit the shrine during the Chingam month have been advised to reserve darshan slots through the virtual queue system.
The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation has also arranged additional services between August 16 and 28 to facilitate pilgrim travel.
The shrine will close on August 21 after the Chingam rituals and reopen three days later for the Onam pujas.
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